


To put a roitelet among the aliens

by TheCreativeCreature



Category: Lastman, Men in Black
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Creatures, Creatureverse, Crossover, Dimension Travel, Dimension-Hopping, Gen, Multiverse, Roitelets, a little ooc, long story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 05:33:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 76
Words: 60,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12292365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCreativeCreature/pseuds/TheCreativeCreature
Summary: The story is set in the AU where Chuborinci the Creature lives, and wouldn't be possible without the charismatic mustelid. The story is long, it has no beginning and no end. What it has are a lot of portals, dimension-travelling, multiverse theories and so on. Please read introduction (the first chapter) for more details. The other main show is called Lastman (check it out by the way.)  Also was posted on Fanfiction.net





	1. Introduction

These are most of the short stories I have, some others are still half-written. Their main story is really long, so here are the point where we start is when during one of these dimension-hoppings they saved one of the Rizels and took him home with them. Maria was the one who persuaded Boris and Creatures to take him. The portal home opened into Maria's room, and due to the absense of another place, Boris had to put the nearly lifeless roitelet at the bottom tier of Maria's bunk bed. In their world every little step can be symbolic, such as letting the Creature out, and this one wasn't an exception. Inverted sensed problems, and tried to kill him while he was still helpless, but Marina and Maria saved him. Yazz allowed him to stay, and he remained with them. The full story about the beginning is, well, "The very beginning".  ** _Please note that this is a cross-post from my Deviantart , so these have been posted months prior me reposting them all here. The "UPDATES" category comes from there and will not be deleted. Instead, it will be edited, hopefully._**

_**Just to clarify, as there are going to be many new names and such...**_  
 **What I own:**  
The Creatures (Chub&Inverted) - main characters - genderless, ageless, immortal. TOTAL FLUFFY ASSHOLES.  
Maria the Boglodite - a second main, 16 b.y. old, seemingly female (she's actually closer to the genderless part of the spectrum), shapeshifter.  
Chuchii - Chub's alive plush, who can also semi-shapeshift. She is mute, and communicates with song lyrics that she plays on her phone.  
Yazz - boglodite, male, 32 b.y. old, Boris's elder brother, owner of the whole place.  
Smoggycat - a male cat that Maria found on the street and wanted to take home, but he was hit by a car and died before she could do it. She brought the corpse home, and said "Chub, you're nearly omnipotent, do something." And the Creature did, indeed...  
Marina - female husky-shapeshifter. Shapeshifting ablities granted by Chuborinci. Before that she was a half-human (mother), half-byvoid (father). She is a vet, and kinda considers herself Boris's girlfriend (even though he doesn't think he has one.)  
Marina's parents.  
Fur-ler the fossa poltergeist. He likes money and plants. Wears green only.  
 _You can see them all at my FA (Chuchianci)_

**What I don't own:**  
Pretty much all the other characters, like Boris, Shrike, Bill, the roitelets and Paxtown inhabitants. Sure, they sometimes can act a little OOC, that's mostly because I've been messing with that story for so long. For long enough that Boris is now a MIB agent and the bigger of the Bills has a partial amnesia.  
I tried to arrange them in a timely manner, not just by the time of the writing, but also by their place in the timeline."Pigeon mail" takes place on 3rd of January, about a week after he appeared. "FFFC and Dead Skunks" happens at the very end of winter and the beginning of spring during the dimension-hopping. "Reactions" happens two weeks prior to posting these all on , meaning that it happened around 1st of April. And "Three Tickets" and 'Sleepless throughts" happen pretty much at the same time a few days before the posting, about 10th of April.

UPDATE: The next ones are in no timely manner at all. First "The Nightmare and the barriers", then "Instagram and homework", then "Sick perunium's only request", then "You can't fucking even believe" and finally then "Howard". "Email" is somewhere between "The first meeting" and "Reactions", actually, and "The five stages of grief" (inspired by the Eye Tales, by the way) are just in general, about the whole timeline.  
UPDATE2: "Solidarity" happened during one of their dimansion travels."The destroyer of pillows" is like a continuation of "The nightmare and the barriers", that happens a week or two after the first part, as since then he managed to unintentionally chew four extra pillows.  
UPDATE3: "The prodigal roitelet" happened before "the Nightmare and the barriers" and even before the "Sleepless thoughts", I just decided to keep it in there because it is written recently.  
UPDATE4: They go in pretty much timely manner, BUT the place differs. "Cooking" and "Fire dancers" happened in their world, "He found his Valley" in their world + Paxtown, "Scars" happened in Dave's boxing club in one of the worlds during the dimension-hopping, "The cons" - well, at a con, "Most cats..." - in their own world, "Sia" - in the Limbo, during one of the dimension-hoppings, and "Characters" - back to their own world again. They date from last weekend to the time of the posting.  
UPDATE 5: I tried to arrange them in somewhat timely manner, but to be honest all three happened pretty much at the same time.  
UPDATE 6: "The very beginning" happened in January, I think, not so long after the release of the last episodes.  
UPDATE 7: "Kigurumi" happened long time ago, but I don't want to get it lost. "Fighters" happened on May 24th, prior to writing, same about "Seizures".  
UPDATE 8: "He doesn't" is spread through the whole story cycle, but the final happened recently, in the end of May as well. "Homework" happened prior to writing, on May 27th.  
UPDATE 9: "Impossible" happens 5th of June. Then everything goes pretty much in timely manner, and the "Post-holiday hangover" happens 13th of June.  
UPDATE 10: "Bring me the Rizel" happened long, long ago, as well as "There was nobody..." (which was like a tiny gift to Lisa.), I just got to upload them, because they were written as FB messages. "I passed with a C" happened 17th of June. "The Fringe" happened 22nd, as well as "Charles is back" (or 23rd, maybe). "He, who lies with dogs..." happened between 20th and 23rd of June, it's hard to tell for sure since it was in another dimension; "I just want to be helpful" and "The Score" happened on 23rd, and the "Sleepyhead" happened at night from 23rd to 24h of June. "Grey bridge" and 'Who do you like" happened between 26th and 30th of June.  
UPDATE 11: "Destination fucked", "Two nights", "Talking with yourself..." and "You'll be me and I'll be you" happened in the beginning of July. Sort of. I still can't tell the dates, nor what happened first, "Talking" or "Being", to be completely honest.  
"You can't save everyone" happened around 14th or 15th of July, and the "Talks" happened 16th. And since then, ten days passed and there was nothing in their world that'd be worth a story. Even Maria's birthday passed rather quietly.  
UPDATE 12: "It's not the end" happened prior to writing,on July 28th, and as you can see by the update below it really wasn't the end of that endless fucking story.  
UPDATE 13: "Don't touch me" happened 1st of August and "Guard" happened prior to writing.  
UPDATE 14: "Hobbies" happened pretty much prior to writing, on August 9th.  
UPDATE 15: "The trench" happened prior to writing, August 13th.  
UPDATE 16: I know, "Scars" already exist, but fuck, let's get a new chapter with the same name because why the fluff not? They're different anyway. So, "The scars" happened not so long ago, but still are old enough. I can't tell the exact date. "Moray eels" happened...well, let's say "prior to writing", 23rd of August.  
UPDATE 17: "Speaking of Getting older" happened prior to writing, on the 3rd of September.  
UPDATE 18: "Cuffs and kindness", "I'm tired" and "Fanfiction" happened during the week that started from 18th of September.  
UPDATE 19: "Thank you" happened September 27th.


	2. The very beginning

\- Why do we even go there? - the boglodite muttered grumpily. - I mean, I can understand when we hunt ArcNets, or change the course of history in other dimensions by saving Edgar or Serleena, but why the fuck do we fight Chorum? What do we gain from that?  
The Creature smirked:  
\- Well, for example we can gain new friends.  
Boris chuckled darkly:  
\- Oh yeah. Just these "friends" don't last, since we never stay in any of these worlds for more than ten minutes of our time.  
The big white fluffy thing just turned from him, as if it was offended, but he still heard it's silent "Let's go."  
The alien sighed deeply. Not again. Not. Again. That happened with a lot of other worlds and universes, every time this fluffy ass was getting interested in something it was annoying everybody around, until most of its friends and acquaintances were also involved. That happened with far too many worlds already, but still, that was better than losing the being forever.  
The portal opened, and some desert sand immideately few out of it to the carpet. Yazz wouldn't be happy if he'd see that, but Boris hoped that they'd be back soon, and he'd clean it all up before his brother notices the mess. It's hard to get the sand out of the carpet fully...  
The alien shook his head like a dog and stepped into the portal hole.  
The contrast between the nice dark bedroom and the desert battlefield was....vivid, to say the least.  
It seems that in this world they've stepped into the timeline right when the portal to the Valley has just opened.  
In a few moments the cave burst, and everyone who was there flew out.  
He felt how Creature's back tensed as it was ready to pounce, so the alien tried to comfort it a little bit:  
\- Shhh, it's not the time yet. They didn't even notice us yet.  
Both figures slowly creeped closer to the fighters and hid behind a big rock nearby. Soon...  
The being's muscles were hard as the stone that hid them from the roitelet's view, it was vibrating impatiently, but not saying a word or making a sound.  
\- You can consume this universe if you'd like to, but let me come back to the Valley!  
\- No.  
Both beings stay silent, waiting for the proper fight to commence. Soon...  
The boglodite had a hard time keeping the fluffthing silent. It was ready for a battle, and Chorum definitely wouldn't get out of that battle alive.  
Finally, it was time, and the being jumped out like a rocket.  
The boglodite remained in the hiding place, but then a thing caught his attention...When Creature entered the fight, there were four of them, white fluffy ass included. But as he could see now, through the clouds of dust and sand, there were only three remaining.  
"Where's Rizel"  
The boglodite stepped out of the shadow. Knowing that the Creature likes that small thing and even kinda cares about him, if he dies it would be very unhappy...Angry, even.  
Alien carefully approached the scene, trying not to get under Chorum's tail. Sure he could possibly blast it off with the space gun he has in his pocket, but anyway, it wouldn't be that nice to get hit by that black goo.  
He was noticed almost immideately, and the boxer run towards the alien, looking all angry and dangerous as fuck, but not for a trained MIB agent. In the fight, they almost stepped on something soft, and that made Richard shift his attention for a second to what was lying by his leg.   
That was a mistake, because in another second the boxer joined the kinglet on the sand. The attack was so quick that he didn't have a chance, and didn't really get what happened to him, it was just like the lights were suddenly turned off everywhere.  
With his enemy defeated, the boglodite quickly dragged the unconscious roitelet out of the fighting zone, trying to get to safety.  
After a quick checkup, he realised one serious and even rather sad thing... He cannot leave Rizel there.  
If he just leaves the wounded roitelet in this place, he will most likely die. But at the same time, if he takes him back home, he will also die there.  
Before he could process what he was doing, the boglodite grabbed the small body and run to the portal, zigzagging constantly in attempts not to get hit.  
Finally he reached the place where the portal should be, and realised that it was closing already. Swearing silently, the boglodite opened another portal, to Maria's room.  
In a moment, Chorum's long body hit the ground, and before the death-signalling ray could shine from it, both Creature and the boglodite were home.  
Maria was home, and she looked very worried. When she saw who exactly did they bring, her binoculars swirled in surprise.  
Boris carefully placed the roitelet onto the lowest tier of the bunk bed, since there was no other place, and sat on the floor beside him.  
The roitelet was breathing heavily and looking even more pale than he usually was. He was still unconscious, but was twitching a little, as if he was in pain. Probably that was true, he was still feeling pain. Still, it looked like his last moments were near.  
\- Just don't die. Please don't die. - the boglodite heard Maria's whispers behind him.  
The door slammed open and Yazz looked in:  
\- Oh, here you guys are, I was just looking for you, everyone already ca... - he noticed the roitelet on the bed and the expression of his brother, and realised that what was happening there was bad.  
Really bad.  
Before Boris could answer, Yazz disappeared from the doorway, but instead of it everyone else flooded the room.  
They were all talking at once, giving advice and trying to help, but as Boris feared that they could just make it worse, he pushed them away. Soon he had to stand up to confront the bugs and Serleena, who were still trying to get closer to the kinglet, and that's when the second Creature stepped in.  
Inverted passed through the crowd of aliens as swiftly and silently as a knife through a brick of melting butter.  
It looked at the roitelet.  
At the crowd.  
At its white counterpart.  
Then, before anyone could say anything, they touched Rizel's hand and disappeared in the air.  
Maria run to the bed, pushing everyone to the sides, and flopped on the floor beside so heavily that her slipper fell off.  
Marina, who stayed silent before carefully sneaked closer too, and for some moments they were just sitting together by the bedside, watching roitelet's heavy breathing.  
The teenager stretched her arm to touch the kinglet, but caught Marina's look and winced her hand off. The human hybrid shook her head. No words were said, they were understanding each other almost telepathically.  
Suddenly the roitelet twitched again, his face turning into the grimace of pain. Both girls winced and grabbed his bloodstained trench, as if it would help.  
...it actually did. When they regained their sight, the whiteness around amazd them.  
Creatures were there too, they heard their hoarse voices arguing:  
\- Let me kill him now.  
\- No.  
\- It will be better if he dies now than what he will suffer.  
\- No. He still has the right to live.  
\- I know better.  
\- No, you don't.  
\- I will kill him if you don't. Softie.  
\- YOU WON'T.  
\- STOP ME YOU JACKASS.  
Since everything was white, it was hard to see Chuborinci's white fuzz, and that was giving it an advantage in the fight. Inverted didn't even think of that its counterpart would circle around and speak from a different side, so the attack caught it by surprise.  
Between the two beings arguing was a small scared being, trying to stand up.  
The girls looked at each other. Maria bolted into the fight, and Marina tried her best to catch the roitelet himself.   
Her soothing voice lead him out.  
When they almost reached the darker place, Marina felt like she was dissolving, falling down, and the next second she opened her eyes, gasping for air.  
Maria besde her was in a similar state. They still were in the room, sitting by the bed, and for everyone else it was quick - maybe only about a second or two have passed, so they all were surprised and curious on what happened, but neither of the girls could answer anything consistent.  
The beings appeared too, all angry and fluffed up after a fight.  
Yazz pushed Edgar aside and walked to the roitelet with a first aid kit.  
Marina looked down at the roitelet again.  
He was watching her. The deep blue eye was opened wide, as he was watching hers and Maria's every little movement.  
Finally awake, but terrifed and in pain, in another world he knows nothing about. With a moan, he closed his only eye and turned to the wall.  
The last thing he heard before falling back into the deep dark abyss was "...Just don't make him stay - when he could stand up and walk, you two send him back to where he belongs."  
Judging by the Creature's grin these words meant nothing for the being.


	3. Pigeon mail

\- Can you at least cook or something? - muttered the boglodite, looking at the sleepy roitelet.  
\- I CAN! - snapped the tiny thing.  
The alien fuffed: - Then cook us something for the dinner. Something with potatoes, perhaps?  
\- WILL FUCKING DO! - growled Rizel, slamming the kitchen door shut.  
***  
About half an hour passed. Maybe forty minutes, but definitely not more than that.  
The boglodite was getting ready to go outside to pick Maria, Griffin and the Creatures up from the park, with such temperatures they must've turned into popsicles already, but his packing was interrupted with an inhuman scream from the kitchen.  
Yes, nothing even slightly related to a human could make that sound.  
The kitchen door slid to the side with a loud noise, and something burning and leaving oily traces after itself run towards Boris. When it got closer hea realised it was a fucking pigeon.  
Silently swearing, the boglodite put his shirt off, grabbed the burning bird with it, and walked into the kitchen without even taking his shoes off.  
He proudly passed by the shocked Rizel and threw the poor bird back into the pan, then covering it with a heavy iron lid.  
\- The Creatures are going to love it. - he explained, closed the window, which the pigeon used to get in and went away, throwing the burnt and oily shirt into the laundry basket on his way. - And before we'll come home cook some more for us too! - he roared to the sleepy roitelet.  
By that time the pigeon was already frying with the potato slices.  
\- "The Creatures will love it", yeah... - he hissed, going to the storeroom for more potatoes.


	4. The talk

He was getting ready to sleep when his phone started vibrating and almost fell from the bedside table.  
\- Yes? - the sleepy boglodite wasn't going to happily chat wth someone at 3 AM.  
\- Boris...I need to talk. - Unlike him, Marina was ready for a very long and private talk. Judging by her voice, before making the call the husky drunk at least a bottle of cider.  
\- What again? Did Maria bite anyone? - muttered the boglodite,  
\- No.  
\- The Creature bit someone? - he shook his head. Today the Creature was beside him almost all the time, and definitely couldn't bite anyone. Well, except Chorum, of course, but that ass doesn't count.  
\- No.  
\- Well just don't fucking tell me that it was the cat who bit someone! - he growled.  
\- No... - she continued before Boris could respond accordingly - It's you. I wanted to talk about you.  
\- I BIT SOMEONE?! - he almost screeched at the phone.  
\- Yes...No, I mean, no, you didn't exactly bite, but...  
\- Okay, I'm hanging up. - the boglodite was ready to do it, but Marina continued:  
\- You're so... so angry and annoyed lately. You don't even smile.  
"Oh yea, I'd love to see how much would you smile after falling from the ladder when it's -20 degrees outside." - thought Boris, but luckly kept himself from saying this out loud.  
\- It is because of Rizel, right? You think the Creature will leave you because of him? - the dramatic monologue was interrupted by a drunk "Hic!"  
\- YES HOLY FUCK! - he snapped at the phone. - Everyone is only looking at him now. "Rizel this". "Rizel that". "Rizel small". "Rizel cute". Everyone is looking at him, calling him adorable, talking to him only...  
\- Boris... - the husky sighed - Let me explain...  
\- WHAT? WHAT ELSE COULD YOU "EXPLAIN"?! - he wiped a drop of saliva from the screen - Even Griffin stopped talking to me! It would be far better if the Creature will go to that world itself...Like it was in many cases before, with Churrbo, the gypsies, even with the fucking Bill. It always comes back, afterall. And now, that electric asshat. Sleeps in the same room as Maria. Eats from my plate. Doesn't seem to be going anywhere in the nearest future. AND EVERYONE THINKS IT'S FUCKING ADORABLE! - he tiredly flopped at the bed, like a very angry bag of potatoes.  
\- Boris... Can you imagine yourself on his place? Do you think he's happy? He hates all that attention! He is tired of all this crap! And, let me remind you, it was YOU, you yourself saved him and carried him all the way to this dimension. And it was YOU, who...  
\- YOU SAVED HIS LIFE! - the boglodite sat up so sharply that he could have seen deep space in his binoculars for a few seconds. - You managed to get him out of there before the monster could get to his throat!  
\- Don't forget that it was YOU, who got him here! - retorted the husky. - You let this whole thing happen! YOU put him at that bed, not me. You did it. Not me. You're angry at yourself. That's why Griffin is hiding from you...he's just afraid of you. They...we all are afraid of you. Holy fuck, this evening you managed to bring down fully armored motherfucking Chorum with a sword with just ONE blow. You are just like your brother. Loner. Just even worse. - hearing this made the boglodite want to throw his phone into the wall.  
\- YAZZ IS BUSY!  
\- Busy or not, he's all alone anyway. Well, okay, with Inverted too, but it doesn't count. Just...just how often does he talk to you?...Okay, okay, fine, nevermind, nevermind. Just... Just try to imagine yourself at the roitelet's place. He's all alone, in a new world, if he comes back he dies. What else could he do? Of course he would try to find a way to get closer to other people, to get accepted, at least for a little bit of time. And now there's you, the one who saved him, but still hates him for some reason. Maybe he's just trying to get to know you be...  
\- DON'T FUCKING TELL ME WHAT HE THINKS AND FEELS! You are not a roitelet, nor you have been one. You don't even know the truth, you just make "assuptions" based on half an hour long talk with a person who lives with me for more than a motherfucking week in the same fucking apartment! - he would have said many more, but the call broke. Boris put the phone that was chirping about 1% battery left at the table and silently slipped into the corridor.  
Judging by the sounds from the kitchen, Maria was exactly there. It seems that they won't find the marshmallows and chocolate in the morning... Nevermind, fuck the marshmallows, they weren't that tasty anyway.  
The door creaked silently, but it didn't wake Rizel up.  
The boglodite slowly creeped closer and stood by the bed, like a dark ghost.  
No, Marina can't be right. She's definitely wrong there.  
The alien sighed.  
He looked at the sleeping roitelet again. The poor thing curled up and was silently whimpering in his sleep, probably he was having a nightmare of the 26th episode again.  
Boglodite pulled a big old blanket from the wardrobe, covered the tiny body and silently slipped out of the room.  
This time the door didn't even creak.


	5. The fence

Winter. January. Saturday.  
For some reason Maria had an exam that day, god knows where. The boglodite decided to hang around outside for a little longer than usual, and see her off as well.  
Soon Griffin and the sleepy roitelet quietly joined them. After seeing Maria off and leaving her at the bus stop they decided to walk further, to the small park by the quay. The Creature was running around in circles, tangling the leash completely and making knots that could be compared to the marine ones, so they all sighed with relief when the fluffy butthole got interested in a stick and run away to bury it somewhere. Boris gave the leash to Griffin and went right to the very edge of the quay. There was only one thing that could have been considered a "safety measure" - a very old fragile fence, that was colored pitch black sometime back in the 90s. The layer of paint was so thick that it looked like it was holding everything together, so when the boglodite tried to lean on it the fence let out a keening screech.  
He decided not to risk it and stepped back. Afterall, there's at least four metres of a free fall and then Creature knows how deep the water is there...Apart from that, the weater itself doesn't really fit for bathing outside as well.  
He was standing like that for a few minutes, watching the ice and the birds, thinking about life... Creature with Griffin were somewhere far behind him, probably the arcanian was trying to stop the animal from digging a five metre deep hole for a branch that's just one.  
\- *cough*  
The boglodite turned around so sharply that he almost slipped on the thin ice or crashed into the fence.  
The roitelet wasn't fazed by this sudden dance move.  
The alien got absolutely enraged. Word by word, a quarrel started, and it was going to turn into a fight of symbionts VS electricity, but a thing happened...  
In the heat of the moment the alien forgot to warn Rizel about how fragile the fencing was.   
So right at the "I'll show you, dumbfuck" the feeble paling the roitelet was leaning on cracked and in a few seconds he found himself nearly drowing in the ice cold water.  
The scream of anger and despair from the water was probably heard on the other side of the block.  
Griffin and the Creature, who have already reached the front yard of their house were so surprised that they run home screaming "ONE OF THEM JUST DROWNED THE OTHER!!!"  
Yazz, who was working on the kitchen, seemingly dropped something, but didn't stop to pick it up as he run out.  
Inverted run upstairs to get the tow. It was in such a hurry that from the side its running moves looked even funny.  
In a couple of minutes the rescue team consisting of a boglodite and two Creatures was on the way to they quay.  
Meanwhile, as they were packing and running, Boris tried to get the poor roitelet out by himself, silently cursing the moment he gave Griff the leash - a long rope with a big mustelid on another end would have come in handy at that moment. But the poor roitelet was absolutely terrified, and was too agitated to help rescuing himself. In the end, that alien managed to make a short sort of a rope out of a few fibres and even made Rizel grab it.   
With his pheriferial vision he saw some movement behind himself, tried to turn to take a closer look, and that's when the inevitable happened - sounds of shoes scratching ice, creaks of the fencing, the sounds of breaking ice, a loud "sploosh". And many swearing.  
Luckly, he remembered that a while ago the Creature taught him how to teleport, so he grabbed the iced Rizel tighter and teleported home in kangaroo-like jumps, curing the fact that the teleporting worked only within sight limits.  
That didn't help much - their wet clothes were covered in ice, creating such armor that even the Shrike would be jealous....though it weighed pretty much as much as Shrike as well.  
Rizel was cold enough to stop struggling, and was as silent as a stone (and weighed like one too).  
When Griffin opened the door (technically Boris had his keys, but even if he could have managed to get them out by breaking a part of the pocket, only Scrat, mistaking them for his acorn could possibly get these keys out of a big ice block they were in) he was so stunned that for a few seconds he didn't even find anything to say. The first thing he did was calling Yazz about that these two are home, safe, and possibly even sound.  
Creatures and Yazz appeared in the corridor in a blue flash straight as he put the phone down.  
Knowing how every attempt to take a bath ends up for Rizel, they've made a hot shower for him, and the Creatures were sent to the kitchen to heat up all of the heatpads they had.  
Yazz guided Boris upstairs, to the second shower. It was pretty functional, just not as equipped and clean as the main one. Though the boglodite didn't mind any warm shower by that time, as he felt as if he was turning into ice statue.  
First things to thaw were the clothes, then everything else followed. The fact that this shower looked like a shower above and a drainage hole in the floor (and a small protective border nearby, so nothing else could get flooded) was counted as a plus.  
His water resistant comlog beeped on his wrist.  
\- Zed, I...  
\- Yazz has already explained everything. You can rest now.  
***  
Of course, such a bath had its consequinces.  
But if for the boglodite that was just one of these adventures ( not to mention that this was just a small accident, unlike the one that happened during the winter of 2015-2016, when they were in the countryhouse and Boris and the bugs decided to cross the river, and ended up having to break their way through the ice for a few kilometres, until they could get to the shoal, as the bank wasn't so steep there.), for the roitelet it was a complete shock.  
No matter that he was relatively quickly transferred to warmth and safety, that after that he spent hours in the shower, if he would've been a boglodite he'd get his butt kicked for using so much water at once, that all the snugglesafes were heated at least two extra times, and that he spent the rest of the day in bed, rolled up in the blankets so tightly, that the roitelet of dreams would have gotten jealous, by the end of the day he felt so terrible that he couldn't even crawl out for dinner. Boris, who already recovered from what happened in the morning even deigned to bringing him the food straight to the room.  
The roitelet didn't eat it anyway, and right as the dinner got cold it was eaten by Maria, who was drawing something.  
\- You have a fever, you know?  
\- Uh-huh.  
Yazz came for a few mintes, bringing a small table with various kinds of medicine. He explained what, how and in what dose to take and went back to his chores.  
The light wasn't on that day, but nobody minded that.  
As Maria was drawing, she was silently whispering some lyrics, trying not to bother the sleepy Rizel. "Heads will roll" in her whispers sounded so soothing that soon he was sound asleep.  
***

Winter. January. Sunday.  
He spent most of the day in bed, getting out only if it was seriously needed. No, he wasn't feeling that sick anymore, he just didn't want to move.  
The bed was comfortable.  
It was so warm there.  
Quiet.  
No breaking feeble fences (when he saw Yazz in the morning, he said that he will find the ones responsible for that and make sure they will be punished.)  
No sudden ice bathes.  
He was lucky that it was so surprising that he forgot being an electrokinetic. If he didn't, that might've been his last swimming lesson ever.  
As he was browising through the newsfeed of some social net where Maria had an account, not concentrating on anything (he felt too lazy to focus his only eye), he tried to think of what his life turned to.  
He's a roitelet.  
An electrokinetic.  
A living electricity in stranger's body.  
Some time ago he was incredibly powered, more than a half of Paxtown knew and feared him.  
And this all is lying in a bed in some distant world forgotten by the Iguana Queen, far away from both of his homeworlds, browsing someone else's newsfeed on some F-site.  
And he's so weak that he can't even leave the bed.  
The tablet slowly slid out of the grip of his thin pale hands and flopped down to the blanket.  
\- Hey! HEY! Rizel? RIZEL?!  
Someone's big shadow appeared by the head of the bed. Something like a cross of Siri and Caricajou.  
\- YAZZ! YAZZZZZZZZZZZZ, HE HAS A FEVER AGAIN!


	6. The first meetings

The first meeting with...

***  
First meeting of Rizel and Serleena.  
Boris finally decided to introduce them "officialy", as it was clear that the kinglet is there to stay.   
During the weekened he got him, Maria, Griffin and the Creature, packed them all into the car and went to Serleena's house, far away from the city.  
Serleena heard the sound of a car coming, and went out to the porch just as she was... To make it clear - she was trying to finally start doing some sports or gymnastics to get her beach body ready (and fuck the fact that kylothians can't get fat), and choose the moment when nobody was home, so she could take her bra off and it won't bother her.  
What a picture - it's -10 degrees, there's a half-naked humanlike female standing on the porch and waving to the car on the other side of the fence.  
Her neighbour was an avid birder, and right at that moment he was trying to find where did a very big and beautiful rare tit go. He tried to explain that to his wife, and cursed the moment these small birds were called "tits".  
Boris, who got out of the car last, automatically tried to cover up the eyes of the people standing at the right and at the left. Usually Griff was on the right, and Maria on the left, but this time it was Rizel on Maria's place. As Serleena was at the right for him, he didn't get to see her properly yet, and was very confused.  
Maria and Chub whistled as they saw how much did Serleena change her breasts.  
In the end, after everyone made everything clear, and Boris made Serleena put a shirt on, she finally noticed the roitelet.  
Bowing down a little to be at the same level as him, she looked all over the grumpy roitelet:  
\- Dude, why are you so tiny?  
***

First meeting of Rizel and Marina and her parents.  
Almost at the same time as introducing him to Serleena, they've decided to introduce the poor roitelet to Marina and her parents, and that was probably the first big test for him.  
First, when they have just entered the apartment, he was almost knocked down by dozens of cats and dogs of all shapes and sizes that run to meet the guests. Then, right after he managed to change his shoes and hang the trech (even though he had to jump quite a lot), Marina's father was passing by, who went out of his room to say hello. As he was walking by the roitelet, he just casually put an empty teacup at his head.  
Of course the roitelet was confused. What confused him even more was Marina's dad's reaction to his "WHAT THE FUCK?!"  
The old byvoid winced and turned round.  
\- Please pardon me, I thought that you're the penguin.  
Before the roitelet could find any proper words to form an answer a gigantinc emperor penguin appeared from another room and walked to the kitchen for feeding, looking as proud as if it was him who owned the place. The moment the penguin was within his reach, the old alien took the cup from Rizel's head and put it at the penguin's. The bird didn't seem to notice anything, and for a minute or two they all just watched the cup until it disappeared at the kitchen, and until Marina's mom interrupted:  
\- LOOKSIE WHO DO WE HAVE HERE! SO TINY! - Rizel blinked a few times, trying to find a good reason not to electrocute her. - Go-go-go, all to the kitchen, the dinner is ready!  
That woman...she wass too nice and too caring, no matter if anyone wanted her care or no. She cooked so much, and she was adding more and more to Rizel's plate, until he realised he's so full he could barely move (she noticed that too and made him an adorable ponytail.)... Let alone the fact that he had to secretly unbutton his shirt a bit, as it was getting too tight.  
The last straw was hers:  
\- You sure you don't want anything more?  
\- Madam, please, I am so full I can't eat anything.  
\- Ah, okay. Maybe you'll still grow a little bit sometime.  
The kinglet tried to stand up and get away, but he couldn't really do it, so he had to remain seated, grumpily watching all of the other dishes that were appearing on the table that he couldn't even think of trying at that moment.  
\- He is...how to explain it better... uh... not exactly an alien. - Boris tried to explain it to Marina's family between sips of tea and biting his sanwiches and pies with ham and cheese. - He's a roitelet...or how's that species called...Let's say...an electrokinetic.  
\- Oh, so that's why he looks like a girl! - Marina's dad looked like he just understood the deep secret of the universe.  
The roitelet was seemingly offended and tried to say anything, but quickly changed his mind. So he decided to still get away. He stood up heavily and managed to make it to the corridor, where he tripped over a dog. In attempts to keep standing or at least keep his balance he grabbed his trench, and fell down with the wall hanger.  
At first he was worried, imagining what all of these people and their animals could to to a tiny roitelet, but then they explained that everything is okay and they were going to change the hanger anyway.  
When everyone was finally getting ready to go home, they were asked to throw out the trash as well, but as Rizel didn't know that it was their usual request, he thought it was sort of a punishment for the broken hanger.  
They walked home. Thankfully, Marina lived close to them, and it wasn't such a big problem...At least for everyone else - Rizel walked really slowly as he was still really full and feeling like a balloon.  
The first thing that met them at home was a smell of lasagna from the owen. Yazz looked out from the kitchen:  
\- Oh, that's so nice that you came! The dinner is ready, you can come. Rizel? Is everything alright?


	7. FFFC and dead skunks

FFFC  
The main stadium of Paxtown  
VIP seats  
Three pairs of eyes and three - of binoculars are watching the boxers' every move.  
Dark blue eye blinked and looked away for a second.  
Sniff-sniff  
Inhale-exhale  
Inhale  
COUGH-COUGH-COUGH  
\- CHUBORINCI YOU MOTHERFUCKING CREATURE  
The white being stopped chewing and turned to the roitelet:  
\- FWAAAAAA? - it gulped down the part it just bitten off - I just literally found him half an hour ago on the highway!  
\- This opossum seems to have been dead for at least a week. - interrupted the boglodite. - Please get out.  
\- Of coff, of coff, fighf fow. - the Creature tried to fit as much as possible into its maw to finish the lunch faster. - Hfe faw flaffefef fifghf fefore If fof fim!  
\- That just means that you should FUCKING WASH YOUR FUCKING PREY. Has no one taught you that? - the boglodite tried to breathe every possible way, just not through the nose.  
On the background one of the captives asked if he could get out. Knowing that Howard couldn't get far away anyway, especcially because Maria, who couldn't bear these "tasty" smells have already slipped out, they let him go.  
Poor Howard could only contain himself until the end of the corridor.  
In a minute after not so pleasant sounds the silence of the corridor was broken again, first with the being dashing out so fast, that it slammed into the opposite wall, making the paint fall off, and then everyone else followed.  
Not because someone won.  
Because the conditioners couldn't help anymore, and the windows couldn't be opened.  
They watched the rest of the match standing behind the main group of viewers.

\- Yo, Siri, wanna see a trick? This way nobody will die today.  
\- Ya, sure.  
The sound of broken glass didn't distract anyone.  
The smell of a dead skunk, however, did.  
In a few minutes even the ring was smelling of a dead pest.

The match wasn't even finished as it should have been, because no conditioners or fans could help to get rid of the smell.  
Everything around smelled like a dead skunk, or possum, or whatever that shit was.  
The Creature itself was nowhere to be found, though as Prim and Siri suspected it may have hid in the ventilation system.  
Everything smelt of that thing.  
EVERYTHING

Though, it had its moments too - the boglodite managed to steal the cup while everyone was too busy trying to find what's smelling so badly.  
Oh, and Duke and Jouifflu were still alive, even though they smelled like a dead skunk for the rest of the week...like pretty much everyone else.  
If that was a possum, one of its grandparents surely was a skunk.

As a result Chub is no longer allowed into the VIP lodge.


	8. Reactions

***  
Maria couldn't believe her binoculars. After reading the post again, she shrunk back from the PC so swiftly that almost fell back with the armchair she was sitting on.  
Rizel got distracted from packing the few belongings he had and came closer, interested in what made Maria act like that.  
Perunium-boglodite couldn't close the tab fast enough, and immideately felt grabby thin figers in her fluff.  
\- M-m-maria...M-m-maria, please no... - whispered the terrified roitelet. - Please don't... - his iris pulsated like Siri's in the second episode.  
Maria muttered something intelligible as a response, still staring at the screen.  
\- WHAT THE VERY FUCKING FUCK IS THAT?!!! - he scream finally broke the silence.  
The roitelet slowly slid to the bed:  
\- Blacklist that. Do anything possible, just make sure that we will NEVER find THAT again.  
\- Yeah, and I think we shall message Jeremie too.  
\- Yeah.


	9. Three Tickets

\- Griffin. I have three theatre tickets for tomorrow. - the being poked his side. The arcanian opened one eye and looked at it.   
\- And... What do you need from me?  
\- Grab Maria and Rizel or Fur-ler and go there. It's a nice opera. About a woman who committed suicide over not feeling loved enough.  
Griffin sighed and nodded. 'A very nice opera, yes."

The first thing he did was going to Fur-ler, of course. The poltergeist was watering his plants and singing something on the motive of "heads will roll".  
\- Dude, I have one ticket for tomorrow's opera. You need to go. - the arcanian appeared on the doorstep, blocking the light.  
\- Why me? I'm pretty sure you have another option too. - snapped the fossa, still watering the plant - Also, dude, can you either get in or get out, you're blocking the fucking light.  
The arcanian rolled his eyes and stepped in, closing the door after himself. He looked around, opened the door again or a second, making sure that nobody could overhear them.  
\- I don't want to take... Him. - the alien made a vague gesture towards the door - You know who I am talking about.  
\- Why? - the fossa looked unfazed.  
\- I just don't.   
\- That's because of Maria, right? - he chuckled.  
\- Yeah...   
\- I'll think of it. - Fur-ler turned back to the plant and kissed one of the leaves.  
\- Please don't make me beg you. - Griffin's eyes widened, as he slowly slipped down at one knee, rising hands in a praying gesture.  
\- I'll think of it.   
Actually...as time shown... he didn't.

\- Why don't you want to take me?! - growled the roitelet. - Did you just forget about all of the other things we went through together?  
\- I don't want to take you and that's my final word! - snapped Griffin.  
Rizel blinked. His eye changed from normal white to black, something that hasn't been seen for these few months he lived with them.  
Griffin growled, getting his gun ready. He hoped he won't have to fight the roitelet not just because one of them could get killed, but because Yazz would throw them both out in a second.  
\- Fine, but do you remember how that winter we were sent after Maria? Back then you had no fucking arguments not to work with me!  
\- I HAD NO OTHER FUCKING CHOICE! - shouted the arcanian, taking the gun out.  
\- THEN FUCKING TAKE THAT TICKET BACK YOU TWAT! - With one lightning the gun was out of arcanian's hand. It made a nice semicircle and landed in the ficus pot.  
Bills, the cat and Chuchii, who were watching the fight tried to interrupt it, but two short beings didn't notice them.  
\- Guys! Isn't it...extreme to fight over a fucking ticket like that? - voiced Chuchii silently.  
\- It's not about the tickets, I'm afraid... - the bigger Bill hugged her, making the cat growl. - It is about jealousy.  
\- And acceptance. - added the smaller demon, hugging Smoggy. - We can't break them anyway, we are too weak.  
\- HOW DARE YOU... - they heard a growl from the roitelet's side. Both of them were already on the floor, punching, kicking and scratching each other.  
\- HOW DARE YOU! - Griffin just got a very sensitive electricity bite what was more annoying than hurtful.  
\- You're a motherfucking asshole, Griff. - the roitelet tried to roll away as Griffin attempted to bite him.  
Before the arcanian could spit the cloth out and answer, the doorbell rang. First thing to appear in the room was Inverted, who immideately slipped through the glass doors to the balcony. When they both turned to look at it, they heard a deep hoarse voice behind them:  
\- No fighting on my property. - the combination of such a cold voice and a tall black figure made the roitelet think of Chorum. Shivers run down his spine, as the boglodite continued: - You two are lucky I won't throw you out today. But as the tickets seem to be bothering you two, I am taking them both.  
\- But... Griffin still tried to object, pushing the numb roitelet off and trying to stand up.  
\- This is my final word. I will go there with Maria and Inverted tomorrow.  
\- Shut the fuck up before he throws you out. - whispered the bigger Bill. - I'm deadly serious.  
Though that was already unneccessary, as both the alien and the roitelet stood up, looked at each other angrily and walked off.  
The door behind the roitelet slammed shut.

Meanwhile...  
The animal who started it all was warming its belly in the sunlight at the balcony. Suddenly the big glass door creaked, and its black counterpart creeped out to the Sun too. It gracefully jumped at the border, put the sunglasses on, ridged its whiskers and only then finally talked in a tone of an offended queen:  
\- You're an asshat, Chub. Why did you do that?  
\- I am as of an ass as the kinglets are. - the white being didn't even look at the black one.  
\- Mm-hmm.  
Silence fell for a few minutes. Finally Chuborinci stretched, knowing that Inverted still watches it and silently demands answers, and muttered:  
\- I needed to test them. Griff is still an ass to the poor thing.   
\- Well are you happy now?- Ibverted took the glasses off, cleaned them with a small piece of cloth, turned the cloth into the butterfly and put the glasses back on.  
\- You'll be surprised. Yes. - The white Creature giggled.  
\- You're an asshat.

An hour or so passed rather peacefully, at least these two didn't start a fight again. Chuchii tried looking into Maria and Rizel's room, but he just threw a pillow at her in attempts to shoo her off.  
She went back into the main hall, and was just chilling under the last rays of the Sun for that day along with Smoggy, until the doorbell rang for the second time. In a few seconds cheerful Maria came dashing in:  
\- Hi, dudes!  
Chuchii and all the others tried to tell her about the situation with the theatre, but they all were talking at once and everyone had their own idea of what happened and what to tell and what not to tell that Maria only got that tomorrow she goes to see an opera, and that there was something with a spare ticket.  
She smiled wide:  
\- Oooh, can Rizel come with me the...then? - she fell silent, catching his serious look. Everyone else turned to him, and the roitelet hurried back into the room until Griffin decided to resume the fight.

\- You poor thing... - she put down her backpack and sat on the bed near him, attempting to comfort the roitelet, but he just sharply put her hand down from his shoulder. If she wouldn't have been a boglodite that'd be even painful.  
\- Am I really still not enough for them?! - he blinked again, turning the eye black. - After all of that? After even the boglodites have accepted me?! - the kinglet almost growled with despair.  
Suddenly Maria seemed to understand something.  
\- It's not about you. It's about me.


	10. Sleepless thoughts

I need some sleep.  
Maria is snoozing right above me. At least I hope she does, she's been silent for a while.  
It's super cold, even though I am trying to curl up under two blankets.  
Oh god why can't I sleep.  
***  
It seems that Maria isn't asleep either, I just seen her tail between the bed and the wall.  
She's not laughing like she usually does, though, maybe it's homework.  
-blink-  
It's past 2 AM already, probably. Everyone sleeps, except us two.  
It is so silent I can hear the clock ticking from another room.  
-blink-  
Yes, Maria is definitely not asleep.  
-blink-  
I can't believe that she can be worse than Chorum at times. I can understand what was happening with Siri and Chorum, she was just a host, but Maria?  
She is both that shy student right above me and the vicious monster, feeding on Chorum's flesh.  
-blink-  
-sigh-  
How many Chorums has she destroyed so far? Ten? Twenty? Maybe more?  
The numbers scare me at times. Twenty universes where Chorum dies and things don't go as they should.  
Twenty universes where I get to live. I... Or maybe not. There are billions of other universes, and each of them has its own..."me".  
-blink-  
It's ironic that I just got to understand how exactly does this world function, after accompanying them for so long.  
There is more than just Paxtown and The Valley of the Kings. Or should I say "Paxtowns" and "The Valleys".  
There is no unique world. Well, maybe for the Creature there is, but not for us.  
There's no single unique me.   
-blink-  
-yawn-  
I need some sleep. These thoughts start to bother me.  
Why can't I sleep.  
Let's check something on that site, maybe it will distract me. Maria was kind enough to let me use her tablet until I get my own.  
Let's see...  
Fanart, fanart, fanart. Everywhere I go.  
It is still hard to get used to the thought that in this world for the majority of other people you're just a character from a show.  
Fanart, fanart...When they draw me, I wonder of which "me" exactly do they think of? Of this roitelet that tries to fall asleep now, or of the roitelet they saw or the one they have in their heads?  
-blink-  
I wonder if other...other roitelets think of this too. They probably don't, they have never experienced what I have experienced.  
It is so weird if you think of it more closely, I am probably the only one of all the "me"-s that have been out of two worlds at once.  
-sigh-  
I need to calm the fuck down. They all do it all the time. There's nothing unusual.  
They all are for different universes, but they coexist somehow.  
It's nothing I should be afraid of.  
-blink-  
Still...I am not the only one. Other versions of me exist. Some of them die and I can't stop it. Some of them has never been out of the Valley.  
I still have to try and understand this, but it seems that I could never fully grab the concept. I will still freak out when I'll be meeting other versions of myself.  
I feel so small and unimportant. Since there are billions of same roitelets with the same story, nobody would notice the absense of one of them.  
Like a tiny grain of sand.  
-blink-  
At one point I wish I had never left the Valley. I know, I've been there again, but it changed so much since I disappeared from there. It barely feels like home anymore.  
...But on the other hand, if I had never done it, I wouldn't have met these guys. I would have never seen the full picture and put all the pieces together.  
What an eye-opener.  
And all what was needed from me was to accept the help of a stranger with a big white thing in the very last moment.  
I didn't even think they could take me somewhere than Nilipolis hospital.  
And I could never think I would end up staying.  
Why can't I sleep.  
***  
\----------  
Somewhere the clock beeped, indicating that it was half past three AM. A lizard twitched its tail in sleep. An alien got a little more comfortable, hugged the plant tighter and kept snoozing.  
Somewhere in another room a tablet fell from a bed with a loud "THUD", freaking the Creature out and making it hide under the bed, so only the tail was poking out. The boglodite started to talk to it softly, trying to lure the being out, silently praying that his brother won't look there in search for the thing that caused such a noise when everyone should be asleep.  
A big metallic thing in another room snored, his heavy arm slipped off his belly and a phone he was holding fell into a plant pot. The fossa on the bottom bed fuffed in his sleep.  
Inverted stretched, fluffing its tail. Nothing unusual was happening. At least, not in its room.  
The roitelet sat on his bed, looking at the dark night sky.  
"How funny, the stars are the same as in Paxtown." - he thought.  
He was sitting like that for a few minutes, just staring at the deep dark sky, feeling how he slowly starts getting cold again. Finally he focused his only eye, stood up and looked at the top tier of the bed.  
\- Maria?  
A dark brown muzzle poked out of a blanket cocoon, two round binoculars staring at him. In the reflection he saw a sad thin thing with a deep circle under the only eye, long messy hair, and a long ugly scar. It felt like he was talking to himself:  
\- I can't sleep and I am very cold. Can I sleep by your side, maybe? Or if you have a snugglesafe or something I could possibly...- before he could finish the mustelid rolled to the other side of the bed, making some free space where he could easily fit.  
\- Thank you. - he climbed up, rolled into his blanket and turned to the giant alien marten:  
\- You can't sleep too?  
\- Yeah. - that was the only thing he heard from her that night. He has never seen an alien falling asleep before. The spark inside of the binoculars slowly dimmed, until it died off completely. Long musteline body relaxed, the ears flopped down, mouth slightly opened, revealing a row of sharp teeth.  
He gulped and turned back to the window.  
Surprisingly, all of this helped him to fall asleep finally as well, and when the clocks beeped four AM everyone was sound asleep.

***  
The first thing that he saw when he woke up was not the Sun or the blue sky, but the boglodite's grumpy face.  
Even though there was nothing sexual involved, nor could he even think of something like that, the roitelet still felt very uncomfortable. He was ready for pretty much anything, from being thrown off her part of the bed to being thrown back into the Valley just as he was, with the blanket and everything.  
But instead of that the alien sighed and looked away:  
\- Wake her up, it's 7:35 already.  
The alien left. Still trying to patch everything back together, the roitelet started shaking the second blanket roll, until the perunium finally unculred and left as well, muttering some profanities about her stupid teachers that make people wake up so early just for them to arrive an hour later.  
He felt like staying in her bed was pointless, no matter the warmth, so he slipped down in an electric spark, along with his blanket.  
All the thoughts were so mixed up, like earphones in a pocket. He remembered not sleeping last night.  
He remembered thinking about something important, realizing something even more important, but couldn't remember what exactly it was.  
The kinglet sighed, snuggling into his blanket.  
At least he has nowhere to go so far, unlike most of them, and he will have the whole day of thinking about that mystery ahead of him.  
Thinking so he fell asleep again.


	11. Email

\- So, since you decided to stay, let's make you a e-mail adress so you could make some accounts here and there to stay in contact with us...  
\- Ya, sure. - the roitelet wasn't impressed. - Just one thing - can we choose something... something serious. Not funny.  
\- Why not? - she sat down by the bed. - So, let's start...

An hour passed. There were a few times when they have argued so loudly that Yazz had to look in to check if everything was okay and both were still alive and not hurting each other.  
There were times when they didn't want to talk to each other, but in a few minutes the discussion was coninuing again.  
\- So much fuss over a e-mail name, wow. - muttered Bill, cleaning his own account mysteriousflyingdorito666@gmail.com from spam.  
Finally the roitelet was sick of that discussion.  
\- FINE! Choose anything you want, just let it reflect what I am at least to an extent.  
The perunium grinned:  
\- Oh yes!

 

\- FORTHEHOLYQUEENIGUANA@GMAIL.COM?!!!


	12. Howard

Maria the Boglodite was sitting in front of the PC, scrolling like crazy and growling.  
\- What are you doing? - asked her the roitelet, passing by.  
\- Searching for Howard. - she didn't even stop scrolling.  
\- Oh.Oh. M'kay. - Rizel slowly backed off.

Another of these distant barely touched worlds.  
Paxtown.  
Dave's boxing club, with a portal opened in the backyard.  
Kitchen.  
Everyone's drinking tea and talking peacefully, sunshine plays on the translucent curtains, filling the room with soft yellow light.  
Nothing breaks the peace. The roitelet almost manages to explain everything, when suddenly the back door slams loudly.  
Everyone falls silent and watches the dark corridor, but nothing comes out, and so they go back to talking.  
Maria dashes into the kitchen, her claws making the "pitter-patter" sound.  
She opens a comic book on the last pages, showing the familliar silhouette to everyone.  
\- I FOUND HOWARD!!! - she screeches loudly, enough for the glass to resonate.  
Rizel blinked.  
\- Well, as you can see I found him too.


	13. Five stages of grief

\- No.  
\- Why?  
\- He's just another one I saved. Oh, pardon moi. We saved.  
\- They seem to like him, though. Are you sure? He could make a good friend and a family member.  
\- No. As soon as he feels good enough to walk by himself, you send him back to where he belongs.

\- HOW DARE YOU...  
\- Hey, hey, calm down. Calm down, okay? You're still my brother. I didn't stop to like you less.  
\- HOW DARE YOU TALK TO THAT SON OF A ROITELET?!  
\- WELL HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO I CAN TALK WITH BECAUSE YOU'RE FUCKING BUSY ALL THE TIME!  
\- You have Bill, your symbionts, Chuchii, Chub, Inverted, Smoggy...  
\- The cat doesn't talk.  
\- EITHER WAY! He won't stay. He will have to go. Don't get attached.  
\- YOU SAID THE SAME ABOUT MICHAEL!  
\- Speaking of Michael, did you trade him for the shortie? He's your mentor, afterall.  
\- You son of a bitch.  
\- Why yes, I am.

 

\- Hey.  
\- Yes?  
\- We haven't talked in a while.  
\- Yeah... Sorry I couldn't accompany you to the work today. How was your day?  
\- Awful.  
\- Oh, I see.  
\- Yeah...I...uh...um....  
\- You want to say anything?  
\- Please don't leave me. For him.

 

\- How'r you doing? You've been fixing that server for god knows how long.  
\- Zed, I don't want to talk.  
\- Ah I see. I'll go then. Family problems?  
\- Zed, go.  
\- Way to talk with your boss. You know, if somthing, I can try to help.  
\- Zed. No, you can't.  
\- If you just need...  
\- GO!

 

\- So, I am like...a family member, then?  
\- For two months already, thanks for noticing.


	14. The nightmare and the barriers

Pain.  
He tries to scream, but he has already screamed too much and lost his voice.  
He feels like his skin is burning. The roitelet tries to get away from the hurtful sensation, but that only makes his torturers laugh.  
He can't see what is approaching from the right until he feels something piercing his skin. He doesn't understand what is it, and it doesn't really matter. Whatever these are, claws or teeth, it just hurts. He feels the streams of his warm blood going down his shoulder and arm and tries to get away from the second bite, but to no avail.  
Someone punches him hardly, enough to close his only eye that immideately starts swelling.  
He struggles again, but can't get out of the tight grip of his captors. They laugh and keep punching his tiny thin body, almost breaking the fragile bones.  
The roitelet wails, squirming and struggling, not understanding how many of them are there and who are they.  
Somebody lets him go and he falls on the cold stone floor, curling up, trying to protect his head and belly.  
It doesn't really help.  
The roitelet screams in pain, but the scream comes out muffled, like something fills his mouth...  
He twitches a few times and wakes up.

Everything is silent, so most likely he was woken up by his own screaming. The roitelet spits out the pillow and sits up.  
He still feels as if he has been just beaten. The first thing that he does was checking his right shoulder. Maybe it is intact.  
Maybe he just can't see the blood in the darkness and on a dark felt of his kigurumi.  
He slowly stands up, but soon falls back because his shaking legs can't support him.  
Maria still sleeps, she just turned to the wall as the scream bothered her. One of her symbionts opened his glowing green eye to take a look at the kinglet and it looked like someone was playing with a lazer pointer in the darkness of the cinema.  
The roitelet looks at his shaking hands. Was it a dream? Was it just fantasy? Or a different reality?  
He wanted to lie back at his pillow, but quickly realised that it was a bad idea...Not only was it wet from his saliva, but he managed to chew it through, so when the kinglet laid his head on it, the pillow exploded in soft white feathers.  
Fuck them, he'll clean up in the morning.

The tiles were surprisingly cold. He already regretted not putting slippers on, but it was too late to come back for them.  
Besides that, he had to sneak by sleeping Griffin, who definitely wouldn't be happy if he'd be woken up like that.  
He already hates the roitelet, there's no need to give him more reasons for the hate...oh wait, what's this? Why the lights are on?  
There's someone in the kitchen?  
At 3 AM?  
What?  
The roitelet froze. He was standing like that until he felt his feet burning with cold.  
It's too late to go back anyway... Just a few steps... They are family... There's nothing threatening. Absolutely nothing.

Turned out, the kitchen was empty. Maybe someone forgot to turn the lights off...  
You're getting too jumpy, Rizel.  
He sighed, looking at the kettle boiling. How adorable, they bought a rainbow LED kettle.  
Pink.  
Purple.  
Blue.  
Green.  
Yellow.  
Orange.  
Red.  
-DING!-  
He filled his cup with boiling water. Added some sugar.   
As the roitelet was thinking about what more could he add, he heard footsteps from behind. He turned sharply, almost spilling the tea.

\- Got a nightmare? - Boris looked at him with a badly concealed curiosity. Even in his sleepwear, the boglodite looked rather threatening.  
\- Yeah....   
The alien took another cup, threw a pocket of the cheapest tea they had in it and filled it with hot water.  
-Tell me about it.  
Roitelet gulped.  
\- I was tortured there.  
\- I know how you feel. I get these every day. Sometimes I feel like I deserve this...Especcially lately. - Boris sat in front of the roitelet, holding the hot cup with one hand. How does he even manage this, it's hot enough to melt a plastic bottle. Roitelet's eye focused on the binoculars again.  
\- Me too. There I know who's a friend and who's an enemy, at least.  
\- And here? - he chuckled.  
\- It's complicated. 

Silence fell for a few minutes. They were just sitting in front of each other, watching each other curiously. Nightmares brought them both at the kitchen at such time, but they weren't the same. Finally the boglodite took a sip from his cup and began talking.  
\- You know, Maria worries about you a lot.  
The roitelet just looked away. Yes, he knows. She cares. She cares just a little too much.  
\- Way too much. - boglodite's voice continued his thoughts. - She's literally obsessed.  
Rizel nodded. Oh yes, she is. She totally freaking is.  
He muttered something as an answer. The boglodite smirked. That was still something, afterall.  
They talked a lot that night. About Maria and about how Griffin is jealous over that, claiming that she was more open before. About the Creatures, the portals, the dimension hopping. Time was stretching, their talk was flowing, creating new thoughts and themes and patterns.  
The roitelet realised that he actually knew next to nothing about the ones he lived with. They all were just too closed to talk and accept each other. These guys had a very closed community, and it was hard for someone else to get in.  
They all had their own separate stories, that were melting and twining together, creating a new big one.  
He was a part of it too, now.  
\- ...and so that's why I had to drink that thing for...for quite a while, I must admit. Learning to control myself was hard as fuck, but I've done it. Now I may get these dreams still, but at least they don't bother me as much as they have done before. I kinda...learnt to accept them. I don't feel pain anymore. Maybe if you could try to do the same, it may help as well.  
Rizel nodded sleepily. Yeah, maybe.  
Boris looked at the clock on the oven, then at the roitelet that was only still sitting upright because he was interested in the conversation.  
If he'd be a little more boring he'd have to carry the small thing to bed, probably.  
\- Okay, time to sleep. - the boglodite put both of their cups into the sink and left.  
Silence fell again, only clocks were ticking on the wall above.  
Rizel finally stood up again, wincing as his feet touched the cold kitchen tiles.  
Yeah, it's high time he went to sleep. High time... Something caught his eye. Hm, a glowing bottle...  
Blockirator, maybe, or whatever that shit was called.  
He examined it more closely.  
The bottle wasn't made of glass, or it was not an Earth glass. The liquid itself was rather viscous, with a lot of bubbles inside. As he was shaking it, the bubbles were moving up and down, like in a lava lamp. Mesmerising.  
He fiddled with it a bit more, thinking.  
"Maybe if you could try to do the same, it may help as well."  
He definitely didn't mean "dude just drink that thing and go to sleep"  
What if it is poisonous?  
Well, poisonous for a roitelet.  
He was not a boglodite, afterall.  
Plus he is much smaller than one.  
Boris would blame himself if Rizel would do it and something bad would happen to him.  
*gulp*  
Damn, that tastes good.  
*gulp*  
He should definitely stop like, right now.  
*gulp*  
Just one more, or they will notice.  
*gulp*  
Uhhhh. He feels so much better for some reason. Whatever is going to happen, he's going to be free of that nightmare.  
Whatever happens to these other Rizels in other dimensions, he's not going to risk getting depressed over it. Rizel yawned.  
He's feeling so free, like he has never seen before, not even that time back to the Val...  
Floor?!

***

\- Wake up, sleepyhead! - somebody shook his shoulder.  
\- WHA? - the roitelet bolted up, not quite understanding what's going on. His last memory was how he talked to Boris on the kitchen at night.  
He knew after that he had done something very wrong, but it made him feel so much better that he wouldn't mind doing it again.  
But here he was, in his bed again, a fixed pillow, nothing serious, nothing bad...  
\- Yazz found you today at the kitchen floor. He was surprised you didn't catch a cold. - Maria chuckled. - Maybe it's the fact that your kigu is as thick as my fur... Or the fact that it is actually done out of my fur. - the perunium laughed. - Just kidding.- she whispered - It's Chub's, though.   
The roitelet blinked a few times, looking around in confusement. Maria fell down his bed laughing. If he didn't know that's a laugh he'd be concerned for her physical and mental health...

\- Wanna go for a quick dimension hop before uni? - she opened a portal to yet another cape Canaveral.  
The roitelet just finished putting his trench on and yawned.  
\- Uh-huhhh...- he grumpily followed her to the portal, but when she passed by with no problem, he felt as if he walked into a glass door.   
The barrier was responding with rather low, but strong vibrations every time he tried to pass. He could almost see the waves going from his hands as he tried to at least push it a little bit.  
\- Um, you know, I think I would much rather stay at home today... - he stepped back from the portal. Maria didn't seem to notice his struggle, so she just shrugged it off with "M, kay", as she bounced to the new adventures.  
The roitelet flopped heavily on his bed.  
The pillow exploded for the second time, filling the room with soft white feathers. He watched them pass through the barrier with so much envy in his look that he was surprised they didn't burn.  
\- Holy mother Iguana, why am I such a loser.


	15. Instagram and homework

*sigh*  
He looked at the keyboard. Right now the only thing matters is what to write.  
Not how did they get Instagram to work at the PC.  
Not how much time does he have left before they come.  
Not anything else, but what he has to write now.  
The roitelet sighed deeply.  
Okay. Time to begin.  
• Rizel-roitelet is typing...

"I am your creation, but I just got to know you exist.  
It feels like talking to a god, maybe.  
I just want to ask you... If it was really you who created me and chose my path in life... Why did you make me suffer so much? What have I done? I've seen the series, I know I couldn't have had a nice ending, but.... But why should it have been so violent?   
I know that other versions of me exist, that I am just one of many, and I hope that at least some of them had a better life.   
I am very confused and lost, I don't know if you will actually listen to me or reply, but I hope you would take me seriously.  
Sincerely, your character, Rizel."  
-click- send   
"Seen"  
•Jeremie.Perin is typing...

The only eye was watching the three dots appearing and disappearing again.  
Please take me seriously.  
Please take me seriously.  
Please take me seriously.  
Plea...  
Someone grabbed him from behind. The roitelet was too deep in thought that he didn't notice how the door was opened and someone entered the room.  
They swiped him off the seat and pushed to the wall, grabbing the poor roitelet by the throat. He tried to struggle, but they just grabbed tighter, almost cutting the oxygen.  
Maria entered the room and growled at them, but two bugs, spikes metallica and the arcanian just hissed at her, not letting their catch go.  
\- Since you're here now, and you stay... - Griffin turned to the PC as a new Instagram notification popped up probably Jeremie's reply, but quickly turned back to the roitelet. - Since you're here now, and you love with her, you should watch over the girl. If she gets hurt, I will fucking hurt you so much that your nightmares would be impressed. - his blue eyes were cold as ice.  
\- By the way, where's she now? - hissed the roitelet.  
Everyone turned around so sharply that they saw stars in their eyes. And also Maria's tail, disappearing in the portal.

***  
\- They told me I should watch over you.  
\- Mmm-hmm. - she didn't even turn to him, chatting with someone in one place, drawing in another, listening to something and watching a stream at the same time. Oh, and what's that, a film? Lastman? MIB?! On Spanish?!  
The roitelet walked to her and reclined on the computer table.  
\- That means I should watch you doing your homework in time. It's nearly 11 PM. - he poked to the corner of the screen.  
The perunium gave him a look full of disaprooval, but closed some tabs.  
\- Okay, fine. Let's see... - she was tapping so fast that it all merged into one sound like "pitta-patta"  
•City M main university  
•Language school  
•Department of some motherfucking shit  
•For students  
•Schedule  
\- See? - she angrily poked to the screen, ridging her whiskers.  
\- I don't. - the roitelet stepped back.  
Maria sighed.  
\- Look. Tomorrow I have...four lessons, okay? For the first one there's no homework, because it's a lecture. For the second...fuck this shit, I'm not even going to the second one. The third is boring, and I have it done for months prior. And the fourth one I will just print at around 1 AM before going to sleep.  
\- Fine. - the roitelet flopped to his bed like a grumpy bag of potatoes. He liked chatting to Jeremie better anyway.


	16. Sick perunium's only request

\- Dude. Why are you wasting so much time on her?   
The roitelet turned sharply, glaring at him angrily.  
\- She was there for me when I was sick. I feel like I should return the favor. - the perunium licked his hand to show gratitude.   
She wasn't feeling that good today. Nobody knows in which dimension did she catch that crap, but her throat has changed its color and she was barely talking. Chub said it's like a cold, but worse, so she should be okay in a while, she just has to rest...  
They tried putting her in the MIB lazareth, but she run away, just like Boris was always doing.  
Marina was too busy, they decided not to bother her. Maria would be okay soon anyway.  
Vivaldi also refused to treat her, because "The fact that I know how to treat a roitelet doesn't mean that I can treat a motherfucking BOGLODITE."  
Plus, she kept escaping from them in all of these worlds, going and picking fights with other roitelets. In some of these worlds she even managed to bring down Chorum before he got too strong. Finally they lost their temper...  
\- Maria. For the rest of the day you will stay with K and J. - the boglodite frowned. - I will go finish the job.  
She looked at him like a puppy that is being abandoned in the rain, they only needed some sad music to complete the scene.  
Right before Boris stepped into the portal, Maria dashed to him and locked the alien in a tight hug, whispering something in his ear.  
"Punch Howard in the face for me"


	17. You can't fucking even believe...

\- You can't fucking believe what I have just done! - the roitelet was absolutely hysterical, acting like the Creature when it is very nervous.  
He just fell out of the portal that opened in the corridor, and from the sand, glass and black goo that fell out before the portal closed we could tell that there has just happened a very epic battle, that was definitely worth a separate episode.  
Unfazed, the boglodite looked at the poor shaking thing. At least he managed to bring the GPS tracker back.  
\- You just fought with Chorum. And you won.  
\- How did you know?! - almost screamed the roitelet, nearly jumping around.  
Boris fuffed.  
\- Look at your trench. It is covered in black oily gooey stains, definitely Chorum's work.   
He passed by, going to the main hall, but then stopped and turned back to the stunned roitelet that was standing frozen in place.  
\- ...oh, and if you wouldn't have won that fight, you wouldn't be there right now, afterall. Now put that trench in the laundry and go shower.  
Like we both don't know how hard it is to get Chorum stains off after they dry.


	18. Solidarity

It was their first visit to Paxtown theme park. Maria was really excited about the rollercoaster in the commercial, and when she saw it she smiled so wide, she could have been mistaken for a Cheshire cat.  
However, her companion wasn't so happy...  
\- I have a bad heart, you know? I can't ride that shit. - his only eye widened at the sight of the enormous construction of steel and cog. - I'll wait for you there, okay?  
\- Aw, okay. - Maria seemed only a little sad as she bounced to the entrance.  
***  
The roitelet was sitting on a rock in the shadow, under some bushes, when suddenly something came from his right side and heavily flopped beside him.  
Rizel winced and turned to the sound.  
\- MARIA?!   
\- Why yes. - she chuckled. - You know the waiting time there is like... 1,5 hours, so I decided to go "fuck it", you know... - the sign behind her read "ESTIMATED WAITING TIME 45 MINUTES"


	19. Rizel the destroyer of pillows

\- RIZEL. - Yazz growled. - FIFTH PILLOW IN A MONTH. FIFTH PILLOW.  
The boglodite was trying to dig up yet another one from the gigantic wardrobe Maria and the roitelet had in their room, but so far he has found just a lot of blankets, some old carpets and Maria's suit from the last school party she attended over two years ago. She probably hasn't worn it ever since, judging by its dusty look.  
The roitelet appeared behind him with a soft "fzzzap".  
\- Yes?  
Yazz turned to him grumpily. Darn, the kinglet is even smaller than Griffin. He sighed.  
\- If these nightmares bother you so badly that you try to hold your screams by eating a pillow, just tell me. I will try to make that mixture work for you too.  
The roitelet looked scared for a split second. He backed off and tried to protest, but as calmly and politely as he could.  
\- No-no, thank you, I'm sure I don't need it...yet... - his smile looked more humiliated and oily than he thought.  
Yazz sighed again.  
\- Fine. But you know, if you feel like you can't take it anymore, just tell one of us. I will try to look up some other ways to help you fight these.  
He knew the roitelet was watching his back as he left the room.

\- You know, I can't just feed him blockirator forcefully, afterall... - Yazz took a sip of his dark tea. The sunset was refletcting in his binoculars, making them pink and blue.  
The black being on the other chair nodded.  
\- Maybe you could just add it to his food in small amounts? - it also sipped its tea.  
Yazz looked at the mustelid with as much disaprooval as he could manage.  
\- Inverted. No.  
\- I can do it for you, he will not even notice that. - it ridged its white optical fiber-ish whiskers.  
\- NO. - Yazz growled.  
\- Fine, fine... It's you who let him keep suffering, afterall. And keeping destroying the pillows, by the way - the being poked Yazz with its silver spoon. - You know why he is afraid of it?  
The boglodite looked at the sunset again.  
\- Not quite. He couldn't have drunk it, though, I checked the level and it was the same. I have relocated the bottle since then too and hid it. Only Boris knows where is it now, but I don't think he needs it by now.  
Creature looked at the boglodite.  
\- Seriously? You found him on the floor, afterall.  
\- And what? - he slammed the table so hard that everything that was on it bounced. - Rizel won't just drink some weird glowing substance, he is much wiser than this.

The roitelet gulped. Oh dear, if only they would know...  
Though it seems that the black elegant thing already knows. He gulped again.   
If it tells anyone else, then he's probably dead.


	20. The prodigal roitelet

He felt it was the time to go back. Nothing in this world was satisfying him. It seemed so...so freaking boring. So foreign too.  
They all were a family years before he appeared, and he just didn't fit in. He was nothing special. It was definitely time to leave.  
When he announced that to Maria, she just shrugged "As you wish, pal." before turning back to her art stream.  
\- You just... Let me go? After all of that? - the roitelet seemed stunned and surprised in a bad way. He thought she cares about him, but instead of worrying she just shrugged it off and continued doing what she was doing. Yes, it definitely is time to leave.  
Silence fell for a few seconds before the perunium spoke:  
\- I was created by Creatures, but I myself am not one. I can't keep you with me forcefully.  
The roitelet mumbled something intelligible in response.  
\- If you feel you will be happier there, I can't hold you. And you know it. - she gulped.  
Rizel sighed. Yes, she was right. He shouldn't keep a grudge on her. There's no need for extra suffering.  
Surprisingly, The Creatures took it with a similar approach.  
"We wish the best for you and if you want to go to a place you'll feel happy in we can't hold you forcefully."  
\- Because we have decency! - The white monster fluffed its neckfluff into a white fuzzy doughnut.

He had a few hours for picking his belongings and saying goodbyes. He didn't have any either way, so soon they all gathered in Maria's room to see him off in a way. Griffin looked happier than usual. Finally his enemy will be out of sight, and as they say, "out of sight, out of mind".  
"Attention, the portal is opening. The next stop is La Valee des Rois." - the being spoke quietly with its nose closed, trying to sound like one of these subway announcements.  
The portal opened, and they all felt a light breeze. A few leaves from foreign plants flied out. The room was filled with new sounds and smells, and the cat sniffed the air carefully, before hissing at the portal and running off, slipping between the roitelet's legs.  
He buckled up the trench belt, said his goodbyes and walked straight into the portal, but right as he was going to take the last step into the Valley, he heard a hoarse voice behind him:  
\- I don't control what happens on the other side of the portal. It is not under my control. Are you sure you want to get away from my protection?  
\- Yes. - his answer was short and abrupt. The kinglet took that one last step, and in a second the portal behind him closed as if it has never been there.  
For a few moments they all just stood where the portal has been, and then walked away, each back to their own business.

The first thing that the roitelet noticed was how much the Valley has changed.  
The second thing... as he walked out of the forest to a small village, he noticed how people were looking at him.  
They definitely weren't that welcome...And he really fucking should have changed the clothes before entering the portal. If only he had something from the Valley... Maybe he should have stolen some clothes before entering the village...  
The roitelet was so deep in thought that he bumped into one of the villagers, who swiftly brought him on the ground. The roitelet landed on his butt with a yelp, making the people around smirk, and then before the villager could laugh he brought him down with an electricity spark.  
That was his huge mistake...one of many mistakes and misfortunes that day.  
\- HE'S A ROITELET! - screamed one of them. But instead of rushing to their homes, they all run towards the electrokinetic.  
All he could say was "ohfuck", before he took off running. The angry vicious crowd followed, led by the villager that he electrocuted. No matter a few burnt down stacks of hay and the electrocution of some of the villagers, they kept following him, until the kinglet was complately out of breath. He realised he was making a full circle in the forest, and when the village appeared again he slipped into the first house he saw in an electric spark, just to bump into two gorgeous breasts.  
A blonde young woman looked at him with surprise and confusement, making the roitelet blush.  
\- Ummm... I'm sorry for such a sudden intrusion, I just... - he turned to the window, hearing the crowd getting closer. - PLEASE HIDE ME THEY WILL FUCKING KILL ME.  
When the villagers knocked at her door, the roitelet was already hidden. He was sitting curled up in a tiny space, they couldn't have seen him, but he saw and heard everything. It would have been even rather nice in there, if only that fucking tiny rodent would have stopped nibbling at his trench, and there wouldn't be any motherfucking dust that was falling at his head every time he tried to move.  
The villagers asked her if she has seen a small roitelet dressed in some fancy long clothes. The girl, apparently named Marianne, said no, and when they insisted that she did she just slapped one of them. After some arguments, the villagers left.  
The roitelet sighed with relief. Safe...at least for a few hours. He still needs to get away as soon as possible.  
\- You're Rizel, right? - Marianne looked in.   
The roitelet nodded, slowly getting out. It's been just a few minutes, but it felt like all of his limbs were asleep. Luckly she didn't seem to hear his silent "Hnnng, fucking shit" as he was rubbing them, trying to get the feeling of dozens of Creatures biting them at once.  
\- Yes. - he finally managed to answer her. - How did you know?  
\- Howard told me about you. He thought you died.  
Marianne looked at the roitelet, but seemingly interpreted his grin in a wrong way, because she immideately added:  
\- He thought that Chorum has killed you for your heart.  
\- HOWARD IS A FUCKING BETRAYING ASSHOLE! - growled the kinglet, barely keeping balance. Marianne swiftly grabbed him, pressing closer to her chest:  
\- Shhh, they may hear you and come back.  
\- Howard is still an asshole. - muttered Rizel, trying to get away.  
\- As I take it, he betrayed you, left to fight with Chorum and then... - she didn't finish, because the door opened wide and a familliar figure appeared on the doorstep.  
\- I'm back! - Howard smiled to her. His smile changed into a grimace of anger when he saw who stood by her side.  
Luckly for him, Rizel was tiny enough to slip through the window. Running away, he heard many new names that Howard was calling him, but luckly Marianne managed to shut him up quickly, and the villagers didn't get all agitated and mad again. All they've got is that he caught her with another man.  
The roitelet run until he felt his body shutting down. He fell on the grass heavily and for some minutes he was just lying like that, prone and face down, trying to calm down. That wasn't the best start, but he hoped that he could find his previous home, where he lived before Howard decided that he needs to get into the Valley like, right now.  
So the next few hours the roitelet spent wandering around, getting dirtier, greenier and angrier with every moment. And hungrier too, since the last time he ate something, it was hours ago, back to that other world. But he was so deep in thought that he didn't eat much. Oh man, how much did he regret that now.  
Besides that, if only the fucking asshole named Howard didn't show up straight after being mentioned, maybe he could have taken some food with him...  
The roitelet stopped to drink from a cold stream and then kept walking.  
Finally he started to recognize the surroundings, and in a few minutes of very fast walking he found his home again. Well, at least the remains of it.  
What was able to burn, was burnt off. What wasn't burned, was taken by the forest. Squirrels were chirping happily, dancing around the empty houses.  
He stopped in the middle of the "village" and looked around.  
Yes, what else did he think of? That after all of these years, everything will be kept intact? How naive.  
The roitelet stumbled over something and fell down again. As he was getting up, swearing so badly that even Creatures would be impressed, he realised that what he stumbled over was an old door sign.  
The roitelet picked it up from the ground and carefully sat at a nearby rock. He wiped the dirt and moss off the sign with his sleeve...  
"Rizel"  
The kinglet sighed deeply. For a few minutes he was just sitting there, letting the tears flow. That was not what he wished for. That was not his dream.  
He sure was home, but everything changed so drastically that there is no way back. This is not his home. He doesn't belong there anymore.  
He has to go.  
The roitelet stood up and looked around. There seemingly were more door signs like the one he was holding. Most of the ones whose names were written there were already dead, so he decided to bury all the signs he could find....but his own, which he washed, wiped dry with grass and his dirty trench (wich didn't make the sign any more clean, to be honest) and put into the inner pocket. The sign was big and heavy, and took the whole pocket. Luckly it was big enough, or he'd have to carry it in his hands.  
Finally the signs were buried, and the dirty roitelet continued his way into the forest. From the moment he saw in which state the place he called home was, he knew that there couldn't be any food left, so he decided to search for it in the forest.   
After an hour of searching, he finally found something that looked like raspberries. Perfect.  
But his lunch was rudely interrupted by something big and fluffy.  
It couldn't be the Creature, that's for sure.  
The roitelet froze and watched how the big bear-like thing walked by. Of course, he could throw it off by electricity, but...  
The being looked directly at him and growled loudly.  
ZZAP!  
The next second he was running again, hoping to get away before the bear-like thing will regain consciousness and decide to make him a part of its menu.  
Unfortunately, what could have defeated Dave couldn't defeat a bear, and so very soon he heard the bushes breaking behind him as the angry thing was following.  
He tried to electrocute it again, but it was only a temporary measure. In one of these moments he didn't look forward, and soon found himself flying and rolling down into a swampy-like pit where giant iganas resided. Luckly for him, the beast didn't seem to want to meddle around the reptiles, and left as soon as it realised there will be no roitelet in its menu for today.  
Rizel looked up weakly. The only thing he saw with his only eye was a gigantic iguana, staring at him. His vision got blurry, and he fell back at the ground.  
\- Holy Queen Iguana...  
He was lying like that for a few minutes, only thing that woke him up was another iguana, but smaller, that tried to chew his sleeve.  
The only thought he woke up with if the sign was still intact. It was.  
He wanted to shoo the iguana off, but met the look of the seemingly Iguana Queen and just carefully pushed the smaller reptile away from himself after freeing his sleeve.  
And that all made him think...The rift must still be open. Technically, if he'd go fast enough he could get there even before the darkness falls.  
\- You're a dumbass, Rizel. - he muttered to himself. After quickly sketching the map on the ground, he thought that he located where the rift is and can go.  
Suddenly a long shadow fell on the roitelet, making him turn sharply, almost falling at the ground.  
\- YOU ASSHAT! - Howard shouted, dashing downhill. He wanted to say something more, but couldn't do it due to running so fast. The roitelet didn't wait for the human to get close, and soon he was climbing up, scaring off the lizards around.  
After climbing up, he took off running again, still surprised at how the fuck could he manage all of that, knowing his bad shape.  
Probably adrenaline.   
He was only making short stops when he felt that it was absolutely neccessary. Mostly for drinking and catching his breath. He knew that Howard and company were chasing him, and tried to remember every tip on how to confuse your chasers, but with little success.  
A few miles to the next stop he covered in teleportations as an electricity spark, but soon realised that it wasn't just taking too much energy, but also was claerly seen through the forest and resorted to just running.  
His lungs burned, he was constantly stumbling over the littlest things, but getting up and running anyway. The rift could be seen already, it was white, and glowing so brightly it was blinding him. As he got close, the roitelet realised that this actually was a great camouflage... Because all the kings' horsemen were waiting for him there, and he didn't see them from the glow of the rift.  
The roitelet turned so sharply that he lost his balance and rolled right to the legs of their leader's horse. For a few seconds everyone was still, and then the roitelet dashed off again. He knew that he couldn't outrun them, but hoped to confuse them, what would give him time to pass through the rift.  
Wrong. The first thing that awaited him was a sharp blow with a light sword from of the of the horsemen. Luckly, they didn't know about the hard heavy doorsign, so the only damadge that was done was to the trench.  
Unluckly for the roitelet, the sign slipped off from the cut in the cloth and was thrown away, to the very edge of the rift.   
His eye widened, and he run after it, not looking at anything else, and that was his another mistake... One of the youngest horsemen hit him from the right, the blind side, and the roitelet fell on the ground again. His only thought was to get the sign before it falls, so he stretched as much as he could.  
The horseman jumped down his horse and readied the sword. For a moment he was thinking whether to cut the kinglet's throat or aim for the heart, so when he finally chose a few seconds later the blow was blocked with the sign.  
For a few more moments the roitelet and the horseman just watched each other, and then the first disappeared in an electric spark, taking the sign with him.  
The warrior lost the fulcrum, fell forward on his sword, which broke in half from so much pressure at once and slipped down, falling into the rift.  
That gave the roitelet few extra seconds, which he used to run away as fast as he could, dodging the horses and electrocuting the horsement when possible. He knew that at that moment he couldn't jump into the rift, they just wouldn't left him. Besides that, he saw that height too, and falling from it again wasn't the best idea...  
Howard appeared on the horison, and most of the warriors that were still alive looked at him. They knew he was an ally, but he still caught their attention for some time, enough for Rizel to disappear into the bush.  
The next few hours passed like in a nightmare. He was constantly hiding in the forest, trying to hide any traces of him being there. Once he stumbled and fell into a cold stream, and for the next two hours the only sound he heard was the chattering of his teeth.  
The roitelet felt terrible. There was no way to get back to the rift, at least not today.  
They were searching through the whole forest, Howard leading them.   
They all would most likely just kill the poor thing if they'd capture him.   
Finally the roitelet managed to find a good hiding place....at least he thought it was good.  
He tiredly descended to the soft moss by a gigantic tree and curled up on it, still somehow maintaining the sitting position, his back touching the mosaic of the old tree bark.  
A silent growl escaped his lips, as he was banging his head against his knee.  
\- You're a dumb shit, Rizel. Dumb motherfucking shit. Feelings shouldn't have guided you from the very beginning. Once it's done, it's done, and there is no coming back. Look what your life has turned into in just one day. Just motherfucking look at that. The whole fucking Valley is looking for you, so they could kill you. Howard is still an asshat. Why didn't you just stay with the boglodites?!   
He sniffed.   
\- They probably have a dinner right now... - he heard his stomach growl. Afterall, he hasn't eaten anything since that incident with a bear.  
Oh sweet dreams. He can only dream of having such a luxorous dinner now. "Home"... Fuck that kind of home. Even Paxtown is better.  
The roitelet banged his head against his knee again and sniffed louder.  
He could only hope that he could somehow manage to open a portal back to the world the Creatures are in. His only hope is getting to the rift, getting to Nilipolis and then to Paxtown. That's a long, long journey, and he doesn't know if it is possible for him in that state.  
If only there would be a way to open a portal back to the boglodites...or let them know...  
He closed his eye and just sat there silently for some time, not moving an inch.  
His body probably thought that it was a time to sleep, and he slowly started turning off... The first signs of it being a dream already appeared - everything was getting blurry, there appeared some yellow warm highlights on the trees and bushes around, he could smell the brilliantly cooked food and he started hearing their voices...  
Wait a second. Voices. Whose voices?!  
Rizel bolted awake and stood up so sharply he could see sparks of light dancing in front of his eye.  
The portal to the kitchen was opened right behind the tree he was sitting by. It was oval-shaped, with perfect misty edges.   
A portal home.

A few minutes back in time, in the other world...  
Yazz just called everyone for the dinner. Maria, who usually was running in front of others and was often forgetting to wash her hands before eating was now the last. They all tried to cheer her up, but she was just sadly mixing the pasta on her plate with meatballs and tomatoes, not looking at anyone.  
Griffin rolled his eyes:  
\- Still sad because of the shortie, right?  
The perunium nodded sadly:  
\- Yeah...But at least I know it's for the best. He is probably happy...He should be so happy he's finally home, after all of this.  
Others nodded. Bills started getting nervous, because they thought that after the roitelet is gone they will also be asked to leave.  
\- I just want to see him one last time. He doesn't have to know about it. Just show me that he's okay. - Maria sighed and turned to the Creatures.  
With a click of the claws, a portal was opened.  
They saw the roitelet sitting on moss, all dirty and wet and super sad. he was most likely falling asleep, but when they all started chatting again, all at once, he bolted up and stared at them, still trying to believe his wish came true.  
Silece fell again. Finally Griffin grinned:  
\- Oh, look who's back.  
The roitelet walked closer, still trying to piece everything together. It is not a dream. It is true. They are here. They will take him back. It's not a dream.  
But will they? What if they are not willing to take him back? What if...  
\- Guys... Can I please... Can you take me back, please? - he wanted to say something more, but they all missed one important thing...  
The portal was shining through the trees like a forest fire, and could be seen from miles away.  
Of course all the horsemen and Howard and the other warriors rushed to it.  
One of them was so close to the roitelet that he could have hit him with the sword.   
"How ironic, I just found peace again and I die." thought the kinglet, seeing the edge aimed at him. At that moment the metal melted with a loud "pffffshhhhhh", making the horseman drop what was left of his weapon.  
Griffin hissed something and quickly grabbed the roitelet and pulled him into the portal, making them both fall at the kitchen floor.  
All the others were firing into the portal with all they had, Maria was so angry that she grabbed a frying pan and run into the portal. Luckly she was stopped by the Creatures, but she still managed to hit Howard with it, permanently imprinting the ouroboros symbol from the pan decoration onto his forehead.  
The Creatures dragged Maria out and closed the portal. The only thing that was still reminding what happened a few seconds ago (apart from the dirty panting kinglet on the floor, of course) was an arrow in the salad bowl.  
\- Well, welcome home, my dude. - the white fluffbutt chuckled.  
\- Did you like... fight with a bear? - Griffin made a wry face trying to get out of the roitelet's grip.  
\- ...and that too. - muttered Rizel, still clinging to his saviour.  
\- Still, me saving you doesn't matter that I started to like you more! - Griffin frowned.  
Rizel thought about hitting the arcanian with his door sign, but feared they'd throw him back into the Valley, so he decided to save it for another time.  
Still, he was home, and that's all what mattered.

***  
\- Did you made all of that just to make him realise his home is right here now?  
\- Of course not. As I said, I don't control what happens in the Valley. It's not in...not in my jurisdiction, si señor! - the being fluffed angrily. - Though yes, there was a little secret...

***  
\- You know...the Valley isn't worth it. I've been there. I can tell. - the roitelet heavily flopped beside his counterpart from the world they were in.  
Judging by his look, the other Rizel didn't believe him. Well, most likely he wouldn't get into the Valley anyway, and no matter how sad does that sounds it's true for the most part...  
Serleena poked his side with her elbow and giggled:  
\- Hey, wanna repeat all that, but with a camera? Would be a very interesting footage. We'd make it into a film and get super rich.  
Rizel fuffed and pushed her away. He knew she was joking.  
Though there was one who these words got into a very thoughtful mood... Little did the roitelet know, that during the whole adventure in the Valley he had a small beacon in one of the pockets that recorded nearly everything.  
Boris fiddled with it and put in back into his backpack. It's too early for him to know that. Maybe later.


	21. Cooking

\- We've got literally nothing to eat.... - muttered the roitelet, examining the fridge.  
\- Close it, you're going to get cold. - the boglodite growled at him silently from the window.  
It was sunny, the freshly-cleaned kitchen shined like a magical unicorn. No freaking wonder everyone decided to leave home - just some were going for a walk in the park, and the others for a dark and cold hideout. He stared out of the window until his binoculars were burning, and then turned back sharply.  
\- Open the top shelf. We'll cook the mushroom soup.

They both looked at the cold pack.  
"Want to have a healthy meal in just 15 minutes? Then you're holding the right product! It consists of just champignons, some onions and potatoes. Here's what you'll need to do..."...and then the instruction followed, taking the rest of the pack.  
\- 15 minues, my ass... - hissed the alien angrily before turning back to look at the oven. - Fine.

First, they found out that there's no potatoes, just a dark mess with some onion pieces, all frozen into a gigantic ice brick.  
Then, as the ice melted, they found that the potatoes were just colored just like mushrooms.  
Then, that their blender is broken.  
\- Have you tried turning it off and on?  
\- I did.  
\- Zapping it?  
\- I did.  
\- Closing the lid?  
\- I DID.  
\- Fuck, let me look.  
While the swearing boglodite was working on fixing the thing, the roitelet looked at the hot and mushy mess and asked:  
\- What if they've meant another type of blender? The one you put straight into the pan, rather than putting the soup into it?  
The boglodite stopped swearing and looked at the kinglet.  
\- We don't have that one. You can try with the usual mixer, though.  
...that was a very bad idea. The drips from the pan reached the ceiling, and the roitelet looked like a snow leopard that just escaped a group of poachers.  
Soon the blender was fixed, and what was left of the champignon mess was going round and round inside. It was almost hypnotic, but when the blender stopped and they were going to put the future soup back into the pan the boglodite thought of something:  
\- You know, it looks too liquid. What about adding something like, I don't know, flour?  
\- Good idea. - the roitelet grumpily observed the cocktail-styled grey liquid.

\- You know it thickens, right? - the creature was just passing by from one portal to another, but stopped to take a look.  
Both "chiefs" turned to it sharply.  
The mess was already thick enough when they were putting it into the pan, and they definitely didn't think about it thickening any more...  
Before they could process the fact that the Creature disappeared and the portals have closed, they smelled something burning.  
\- FUCK.

Finally, after a few more minutes of swearing and constant stirring, one broken spoon and two litres of milk the soup was done.  
It was a grey thick mess that smelled of burnt mushrooms. Actually, it was tasty, but looked like something from Michelin star critic's nightmares.  
\- Beautiful, my dude. We cooked glue. - the roitelet was trying to put some of it on his plate, but ended up breaking yet another spoon.  
\- It looks like something from my chidhood...Since there weren't many resources most of the time we were given something like this with all the vitamins we needed. Brrr. - he shook the memories off and got a bigger spoon.

***  
The phone vibrates, interrupting the Lastman theme.  
\- Yes. Yes, put the tomatoes in first. Yes, after that add the meat. Mhm.   
What do you mean there aren't any potatoes? This soup should have them, they are the key part.  
Oh, okay. Yes, use these then.

The comlog vibrates, making the symbiont inside the wrist growl silently.  
\- What? Potatoes? Maria, I am two dimensions away from the nearest shop. The only thing I could get at the moment is the Valley equivalent of them. - he poked the roitelet - By the way, what is the equivalent of potatoes here?

The phone vibrates and almost falls off the desk, stopped by a black clawed hand.  
\- Yazz, I found them. Just...They smell so good, I already ate two slices... Yes, I know, that's not good.  
Yeah...Shall I put all of the other vegetables in too? No? Okay... They smelll just so good uhhhhhh.... Yes, yes, I know...  
They smell like that meal from Heaven Julia once got us... Yes, I know...

The comlog vibrates again and falls from the tree on its owner's head.  
\- What do you mean you found potatoes? Oh, these potatoes... Yes, I remember the glue soup. You told me you liked it. Okay, we'll still bring them, unless we'll have to fight that upcoming guard with them. Oh ya, we stole a bunch. ...Yes, like, a big bunch.

\- How's the soup? - she asked, looking them in the eyes, like it wasn't her who just almost burnt the kitchen down trying to melt the cheese.  
Since she didn't have a lighter, but had fire powers instead she thought it'd be a good idea... Apparently it wasn't.  
\- Pretty darn fine, thank you. - the roitelet looked at the bigger alien, who immideately licked the drop of melted cheese off his nose. The roitelet shivered, as he still couldn't get used to the fact that his alien friends had tongues up to forty centimetres.  
They heard the door opening, and Maria and the Creature immideately hurried there.  
The arcanian sighed. They carried the stolen valley-potatoes through three dimensions just to home home to their kitchen full of smoke and burnt cheese, and the "meal from Heaven" gone into Creature's belly as the smoke was hiding it from being seen as it was commiting the crime.  
At least Maria seemed happy...


	22. He found his Valley

\- Master? You look grumpier and grupier with every visit, but today is the worst. - Vivaldi looked concerned.  
The roitelet just turned from him to the gigantic lion head.  
He could try to explain it, but that would take a long time and Vivaldi probably wouldn't understand either way...  
This place wasn't feeling like home anymore. It never actually did, but this time it was worse than ever.   
The kinglet understood that this place is most likely better for him, since he gets treated like a king, has a lot of money, power, a big apartment and lots of minions. But there still was something missing... Maybe after all of these adventures he felt like there his life was too boring and monotonous, since nothing that interesting happened here since the Dave's kidnapping months and months ago. The Creature said that here it brought most of the named characters to life, including Dave, but he still wouldn't be very happy with meeting most of them.  
Especcially Dave.  
\- Master, please tell me if anything is wrong. You know, I care about you.  
\- I know. - he didn't even turn. Maybe it's time to just ditch it and stop coming back to that world. He couldn't explain why, but that other world, where the aliens were, and his creator, and Vivaldi's prototype, that other world seemed far more homely than this one, not even mentioning the Valley.  
To Vivaldi and everyone else he did find his Valley. What he didn't explain was that this "Valley" was different.  
***  
He woke up with a heavy head. Opening the only eye felt like a tough job, and so for some time he was just sitting like that, fully awake, but with his eye closed tightly, slowly getting to realise that he is not in bed.  
When the realisation fully crawled into his mind, the eye opened wide automatically.  
\- Hnnnn... - the roitelet slowly looked up. He was in his room, that was a plus. What wasn't, was that he was sitting on the floor by the bed, and before he woke up his head was resting at a fluffy side of a sleeping perunium-boglodite, curled up on his tier of the bed.  
Rizel stood up slowly, trying not to wake her up. His trench was all wrinkled, same about other clothes.   
The kinglet felt cold shivers running up and down his stiff limbs and started undressing slowly, trying to remember what exactly happened yesterday after they cooked the "wallpaper glue" mushroom soup. Nothing good at all, probably. Some dimension-hopping, most likely.  
What also caught his attention was that it was silent in the lair. As he finally zipped up the kigurumi, the roitelet carefully looked out, just to find the lone boglodite in the main hall.  
Boris tried to cover at least one window, so the rising Sun wouldn't burn his binoculars, but some rays were still slipping through the dark red curtains.  
He turned the gigantic TV on, just muted the volume, and it seemed that he just finished downloading "Last Fight" as the alien was just messing with the settings.  
The picture of a lone alien sitting crosslegged on the floor and trying to read game rules and backstory on a gigantic screen in the gigantic room that looked like a reddish aquarium made the roitelet stop and think for some time. It still was absolutely silent, only the "pitta-patta" of the controller buttons was heard.  
The boglodite seemed to hear or see him, but didn't turn, not wanting to interrupt the moment.   
Finally the roitelet made up his mind and carefully trotted closer.  
\- Can I play with you? - he whispered silently. The boglodite nodded.  
They spent that morning in absolute silence, playing the videogame. Then everyone else started waking up, it got noisy and crowdy and they realised it was time to stop. His comlog beeped, and the roitelet realised that he prosmised to come back to his own world that day for some things...  
Brushing teeth, washing hair, drying, putting the freshly ironed trench back on he thought that every visit to that place gets worse and worse. He doesn't want to part with that welcome world, where that group of mixed beings accepted him as their own and where his creator was and go to the place where for most named inhabitants he is dead, either literally or figuratively.  
But he has to do it.  
***

\- I think I have to go now. - the roitelet stood up from his armchair and walked to the door, leaving the confused doctor behind.  
\- When will you be back again? - Vivaldi asked silently.  
\- Probably in a week or so. - Rizel looked back, noticing how Vivaldi's face changed. He doesn't want to let his master go. He really worries about him and where did he go.  
But the doctor is the only one who really cares about him, versus the whole family on the other side of the portal. Sadly it's not a hard choice.  
The kinglet closed the door, opened the portal. It was raining in Paxtown, and only getting cloudy in the city M, where the sky was bright white from the Sun illuminating the clouds. The portal hole was bright and sci-fi looking, as if it was saying "step inside, my dear".   
And so he did.  
***

\- I think we all need a short break of sorts... - Yazz filled his bowl with hot soup and carefully passed it to the shivering kinglet.  
The weater got nastier, and soon it was raining as much as in Paxtown, making Griffin joke about that some roitelets bring bad weather, but at least it made them all reunite at the kitchen as the beings tried to warm themselves up with some tea and soup.  
\- What about that SPA-related place I told you about? - interrupted Inverted. As the being was looking up, Chub quickly stole a piece of sugar from its counterpart's bowl.  
\- Good idea. - Yazz nodded. - No dimension hopping, no fights, nothing. Just relaxation and nature... I could book us a hotel.  
Rizel coughed, almost choking on his soup:  
\- You meant, like a few rooms?  
\- No, I meant a hotel. - Yazz turned to him, and the kinglet saw his reflection in the binoculars. Man, what a tiny ugly thing he actually was...  
\- BUT HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THE FORECAST?! - Griffin hit the table hard enough for everything to resonate. - It's going to be raining for two days straight!  
\- The better for us. - Inverted fluffed, stopping Chub's thin arm for going into its bowl again. - No fights. No long walks. Just sleep and nice things.  
Rizel sighed. That wasn't quite what he was thinking about when he was going back... But at least they all will be there. He looked at the Creatures.  
Chuborinci was grinning widely, as if it knew what will they be doing there. He smiled back at the being. Since the fluffbutt is there, they will not be bored for sure.


	23. Fire dancers

\- Holy hell... - they saw the reflections of the burning poi in Maria's binoculars as they were trying to drag her back at their place, away from the fire, knowing how this would end, but a perunium was stronger than a flying dorito, and arcanian and a roitelet, and so she was slowly, but surely, making her way to the poi dancers.  
Luckly, they finished before a gigantic alien mustelid could jump into the centre, but she was still absolutely hypnotised by the pois and their dances.  
The Creature appeared nearby and trotted closer to them. Judging by the feathers stuck in its fur it just had a good time in the bird museum down the road...  
As the fire dancers left, the place went back to its dark and sad look, a thick blanket of clouds was hiding the sky from them, pouring more and more rain on the poor soil and the beings that were unlucky enough to be outside.  
\- Hey, Chub. - the roitelet finally spoke. - You're from Tarostos, right?  
The being nodded with a quiet 'Mmm-hmmm".  
\- You have any fire dances there, don't you? - he nodded to the wet perunium that was examining the place where the dancers were.  
Creature smiled so wide that it looked like a Cheshire cat:  
\- Oh yui! Let me show you all one of them... - it morphed into its anthro form, lit a fireball on a chain attached to its middle fingers and started moving around - It is called "The Lost Soul Dance".  
As it was dancing, it was commenting on every move it made and the dance history itself:  
\- There was an old legend in Tarostos that one young man named Johny once challenged a demon for a fight and lost it. As a matter of punishment the demon took his soul out and Johny had to carry it around in the form of a fireball. - the being's quiet and narrative intonation didn't quite match the movement, but they both were two sides of one big picture. - He was walking, guided by his soul, and fearing that he may lose it the demon gave him the unbreakable chain that he attached to his fingers and never took off again.  
A big hand fell on roitelet's shoulder, making him wince.  
\- It's me. - muttered the boglodite. - No need to wince like crazy.  
They watched the dance in silence, but more and more of their family was coming, and the Creature decided to keep performing, but now without any comments at all.  
Maria wiggled out the kinglet's grip as her "brother" came, and climbed up to the Creature:  
\- Can you teach me how to dance the Lost Soul Dance?  
Not stopping around, the being just smoothly turned its previous dance into another, same with the poi that couldn't be extinguished by water, but by the will of the dancer's only:  
\- I'm pretty sure that the Lost Soul Dance isn't fit for you, since you're more of a fighter, I could teach you another one...   
\- ...Oh please do! - the perunium wiggled around.   
\- ...It is called "The Warrior Dance", and its huge plus is that a lot of the movements are actual war movements, these dances were often used to train or to solve something without a fight...well, a proper fight, with blood and stuff.  
Soon Inverted joined in, and for some more time everyone just watched another fire show.  
When it ended, the boglodite sneaked closer to the Creature that was sitting on a bench under the "SPA hotel Lionhead Diamond" sign. Curious roitelet followed, hiding behind the big sign "Dinosaur Museum" nearby. It was all muddy and wet, but he wanted to hear it too.  
Curiosity killed the cat, he knew it was bad.  
He was bad.  
But he will make up for it later.  
\- ...Rizel told me about the Lost Soul Dance and the legend.  
\- Mmm-hmm.  
\- Was it really just a legend? - he fuffed - Or shall I say "did you just make it up so we wouldn't be bored while watching your silly movements"?  
Creature smiled:  
\- Nope.  
Both the alien and the roitelet behind the sign gulped. Rizel felt like it's definitely a time to get back, because the rain made this place a slippery muddy slide.  
Besides that, he feared that in that silence they could hear him falling... That would definitely be a moment worth of Ticirut's presence.  
\- ...So, you were the "demon", then? - finally asked the alien.  
Creature nodded.  
At that second the roitelet finally slipped and slid down straight into the small pond.  
Of course, they took him out, and after an hour in the SPA centre, some yogurt and spicy cheese drops he felt a little better, but two things were still bothering him...  
The fact that Creature is much more powerful than he could even think about and that they saw him falling.


	24. Scars

\- WHY DO WE EVEN NEED IT?! - the roitelet screeched angrily.  
The boglodite turned to him sharply:  
\- Do you remember that one time not so long ago when you fought Chorum off with the Noisy Cricket? You were wounded and almost died there.  
The roitelet stepped back:  
\- I don't quite get what you're trying to mean, but why yes, I do remember this.  
The boglodite continued:  
\- And that one time back to the winter, when you fell down nearly twenty metres height and almost broke both legs?  
The kinglet gulped:  
\- Yes.  
\- Do you have any scars from these events? - the alien looked terribly proud of himself.  
After a quick checkup, the roitelet's only eye widened so much it looked like that one fake eye Maria has floating in a bottle.  
\- No...  
\- That's why. - the boglodite left the boxing hall and slammed the door behind himself.


	25. The cons

It takes place on a convention (well, two cons at the same hotel, MIB and Lastman related.), and the Chub-related people and Rizel from the other world have the same cars.  
Since they don't want to mix them up, one of them proposed an idea to draw something on their car.  
So, they all are at the lobby, the grop with Chub discussing that idea, and there Boris comes with a permanent marker   
\- Done.  
Rizel goes out to take a look, and dashes in in a few seconds:  
\- YOU DREW A DICKBUTT?!!!  
***

On the first day as everyone arrived at the con Boris shown Chub to everyone and said "This is Chuborinci the Creature. It is big, teethy and clawy, but it won't hurt anyone." - he looked at the being - "It will just watch"  
The same day, at night, Richard sneaked into Tomie's room, and during the act, right getting close to the peak, they both noticed something white behind their window.  
IT WILL JUST WATCH  
JUST  
WATCH  
***

Kaiser walked into his room. It's time to undress, before he could turn into Gobniu, or he'd have to find new clothes, like that one last time in the gallery.  
Singing "Whenever wherever" and moving along with the song he started taking his clothes off, when he felt like someone was watching him.  
Nah, he's in the middle of the room, and even if someone could have crawled up the sevenths floor they couldn't see him through the tree branches...  
Wait, what's this?  
The Creature breathed on the glass to make it misty.  
|0  
Thanks, fluffbutt.  
I appreciate your input on my stripping.  
***

Siri walked downstairs with a box of expensive candy.  
\- Where did you get that?! - Dave and Richard alerted immideately. Instead of answering Siri just passed them a paper.  
\- I saw the Creature watching me from the other end of the corridor yesterday, and I decided to tame it somehow. We spent a few hours togther, it was getting closer and I almost pet it, but then someone decided to come back to their room and it run away. - Sirio tried to explain as they were reading the note. - And today I found this on my doorstep. They're tasty, try some.  
Dave looked up from the paper, his expression slowly changing from angry to extremely confused.  
\- I guess you were lucky, kid...  
The paper said:  
"| wanted t0 get you a dead bird, but | don't know if you'd like that kind 0f stuff, so |'ve got y0u some candy from the nearby candy sh0p."  
\- The nearest candy shop is 70 miles away.  
***

Morning. Everyone eats calmly.  
Suddenly a small figure dashes into the dining hall.  
\- WHAT IS THIS? - Rizel asks loudly, shaking something small in his hand: - WHAT'S THIS I AM ASKING YOU ALL?!  
\- Where did you find it?! - Muttered one of the Boris-es, who was picking his breakfast still.  
\- ...It was at my doorstep this morning. - hissed the roitelet and then continued: - THAT'S A MOTHERFUCKING KINGLET, YA'LL!  
Right at that moment, he shook the poor thing so hard, that its legs broke, and the legless feathery body flied accross the hall in a perfect parabola, before falling into a jam jar.  
Silence fell for a few seconds, before Boris quickly grabbed the jar with something like "Oooh, yummy".  
On the background J asked for some water.


	26. Most cats wear baby size 0-7 months

\- Okay, it looks nice, but will he wear it? - the one-eyed...thing looked at the tiny shirt. It looked like he feels very uncomfortable in the shop full of baby clothing and toys.  
\- He has to. - his companion wiped her fringe to the side and checked the price tag - HOW MUCH?! Damn, that dude's getting expensive.  
The third person in the shop was just walking around aimlessly, sometimes stopping to play with the toys.  
\- Well, he's got to wear something either way, a shirt or a collar. - he muttered.  
\- The collars are cheaper!  
\- But the dignity isn't. - snapped he finally, before getting back to staring at the shirt blankly, scaring the woman behind the counter to death.  
\- Who cares about the dignity of a thing that doesn't even get out... - growled the girl.  
The cashier came closer.  
\- Do you guys need anything? - even though she spoke calmly, all three turned to her so sharply that the girl almost fell through the wall of baby shirts.  
\- No-no-no, thank you. - she tried to keep her balance. Her eyes were so mesmerizing, big and black.  
\- Do you have a boy or a girl? - the cashier decided to be a little more pushy. Maybe they will buy something. Just why did they talk about their baby in such a way?  
The girl chuckled:  
\- A boy...or, well...he is male, but not quite a human...how to say it...  
\- He's a cat. - the one-eyed being interrupted the teenager. Cashier couldn't tell if that was a male or a female so just called the thing "it" in her head.  
\- Yeah, and recently he fought with a big dog, like a central asian shepherd or kangal or whatever that asshat was, and then...  
Cashier gulped. Poor kitty.  
\- Poor little thing! - she exclaimed, interrupting the girl. - So the vet told you to get a shirt instead of a cone, right?  
All three buyers nodded. The girl wanted to say something else, but then just sighed and looked away.

\- Why didn't you just say that he got injured rather than getting into explaining everything? - the arcanian grumpily looked at the small hirt in a plastic bag with a happy looking smiling child on it. - You know she couldn't get everything either way.  
The teen turned from him:  
\- Well, she'd try to talk more about it either way...  
The roitelet poked her side:  
\- Dude, you can't explain a mere human the whole situation, about how he fought of a big dog, then thought that he's a big badass feline now and so he underestimated his size when jumping into the portal, and instead of grabbing the edge he flew right through it into Chorum's face, knocking him off, and then was so scared that he run away and got his shoulder scratched when he tried to hide under the cup stand.  
She just shruggled it off:  
\- Don't forget how he also bit Prim when she tried to stop him.


	27. S.I.A.

They waited. Feeling the water around their ankles, getting colder and colder, they waited. The figure has came closer, and they saw that it was a tall blue being, with a horn poking through the long and messy hair and eyes bandaged tightly. It was going swiftly, but smoothly, cutting the thick blanket of mist in half  
Maria snarled at her, but didn't make any sounds. The two roitelets remained silent too, hoping that the being will just pass by, but feeling how their limbs were slowly turning leaden.  
As the being was getting closer, they have moved to the sides, hoping that the dry dead reed of the Limbo will not make any sounds.  
One of the roitelets gulped silently, eyeing the tail of the being, that was made of floating bones. Ink from the heart tailtip dripped into the water, making oily spills.  
As it passed, they moved together again, but there it suddenly stopped, turned to them and spoke.  
Its voice was deep and hoarse, like the vocal chords were not used for years and alsmost atrophied.  
\- Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't see you.

***

\- And then it turned to us and spoke... - he stopped his speech to bite the sandwich.  
\- It said "Even though I'm blind I see you", or something like that. - the perunium interrupted, crawling closer to the fire. Her attempts were stopped with the roitelet pushing her away, to the edge of the tiny island they were crowding on.  
\- "Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't see you.", it was. - The other roitelet stretched one of her long arms and grabbed a sandwich from the fire.  
\- WAIT. You meant that SIA SPOKE? - the white ghostly being froze. It was coming back from a successful hunt, but dropped the prey as it got close enough to hear their voices.  
Everyone turned to it, and its black counterpart that run to get the dropped prey before it floats away.  
Rizel shivered and nodded:  
\- I don't know what is the name of that thing, but yes, it did indeed.  
Both Creatures dropped the wet carcasses into the fire, making a lot of smoke, and disappeared in the mist, leaving behind the smell of burnt feathers and a lot of profanities that the aliens and a roitelet shouted at them.

\- What a great day. First a blind monster tells us that it sees us, then our food gets ruined and the whole place smells like we just burnt a pillow. Fuck The Valley. Fuck Limbo. This is the last fucking time I'm here with you.


	28. We all are just characters in someone's stories

\- Aren't you a little too old to be reading a book about Penrod? - the flying dorito asked the fluffy being, that was happily giggling while reading an old book in a blue cover.  
It looked up:   
\- Nah, because I like it. It's funny.   
\- But that's a book for LITTLE CHILDREN - Bill seemed surprised.  
\- We've talked about it a year ago, this is one of my favorite books and in this world you come from a cartoon series for LITTLE CHILDREN - it tried to mimic his voice and intonation. Bill turned orange, either from anger or from shame, and hid behind the piano.

The one-eyed being turned to the boglodite:  
\- You saw that?  
The alien nodded grumpily:  
\- Uh-huh. - He nodded to sleepy Shrike who was passing by, yawning and shaking his giant metallic head. - We all are from different worlds, and are united only because the Creature is here. It is so funny that every time I post a self-portrait I have to tag it as "The character (c) Colombian pictures".  
\- Wait wait wait, and what about Maria's characters? She seems to have quite a bit of them... - the roitelet's eye opened wide with a sudden realisation - You want to tell me that they all also exist somewhere?! - he stopped in the middle of the dark corridor, watching the sleepy boglodite walk further down the corridor, to the kitchen.  
The alien turned to him:  
\- Yes. Though only a few of them know it, Mariana included. - he yawned, showing a lot of long and sharp teeth. - Would you like some coffee?


	29. Three important dates at once

\- Maria?  
She turned to him so fast that the office chair she was sitting on almost tripped over.  
\- Yes?   
For the first time in a week the boglodite was grinning wide, with a crazy sparkle in her binoculars. The roitelet backed off:  
\- Are you okay? - after the nervous week, knowing how unstable she actually is, both psychological- and physical-wise, he wouldn't be surprised if the boglodite would just go cuckoo. As Bill and others said, it wasn't that uncommon for her to go crazy for some time after some very rocky weeks, especcially when finals were still going.  
She laughed, showing long double teeth. Before the roitelet could definitely say that yes, she went crazy like a Cheshire Cat, the teenager answered:  
\- Yes, I am.   
He sighed with relief, and wanted to pass by, but a strong clawed hand grabbed his trench:  
\- Wait. You know why am I so happy today?  
The roitelet shook his head and gulped. "Nope."  
\- First of all, today marks a full year of your presence in my life.  
Rizel freed his trench from her grip and stepped back:  
\- That's a very strange math you've got there, since I've only been with you since January. - he gulped. - For five months.  
The morph laughed again and slid to he right, opening the view of a little Instagram post.  
\- This. This is when I've first seen you. I didn't even think that once you will end up here and stay with us.  
Before he could say anything, she grabbed his trench again and continued:  
\- Then, today was my last proper lesson this year. Then, I've got the news that I passed the Spanish exam. Very shittily, tbh, 21 out of 35, but I fucking passed. Then, the guy I told you about...  
\- The King of tardiness, excuses and carpets? - he chuckled.  
\- Yep. He promised me a burger yesterday for sending him my info I've got on Roosevelt, and today he fulfilled his promise. And then, I've got a part of the trade I've been making since April finally done, and it looks fucking gorgeous.Today is a nice day. And it's time to FUCKING CELEBRATE THAT! - she opened a portal to the kitchen and took two bottles of something from the fridge.  
One she took herself, biting off the lid, the other she passed to the roitelet, and he had no choice, but to take it.  
***  
That was probably the tenth Valley they have visited that day.  
As they were going to the portal, the gigantic mustelid was laughing loudly and singing "Let's celebrate".  
The lyrics were echoing through the barren, heard by everyone who was hiding from the duo for one reason or another.  
There's a party goin' on right here  
A celebration to last throughout the years  
So bring your good times, and your laughter too  
We gonna celebrate your party with you  
\- COME ON NOW! - she crushed the empty bottle of lemon drink on some guard's head, who was stupid enough to jump at them with a sword.  
The roitelet didn't even notice how guard flew over the rocks.  
Howard and the other roitelets just watched the two figures disappear in the shine of the portal.  
***  
\- I swear I wasn't drunk. You know, I don't even drink.  
\- You don't need alcohol to be crazy ass of a mustelid. - he carefully covered the sleeping roitelet, who was sleeping topless and curled up on the bed, only the shoes hanging off the edge. - Goodnight, my dude. - the boglodite turned the dim lights off and looked at the dark brown muzzle stuck between the bars of the top tier.  
\- Goodnight, bro. - she licked her nose. - I promise, the next time I pass an exam I will invite you too.


	30. Riding the Iguana Queen to freedom

It was a wild run. Like, seriously, they probably covered up to seven kilometres in less than an hour.  
After storming through the forest to the portal, all of them just fell on the ground for a while, breathing heavily.  
At first they were just trying to catch their breath, but then, as the dusk was falling, they turned to lie on their backs and watch the sky turning dark.  
The fire from the burning palace was illuminating the sky and could be probably seen from pretty much everywhere in the Valley.  
Finally one of them turned to the second small roitelet, who was seemingly very pleased with what he has just done.  
\- How...did you...why?.. - he wheezed out, still not quite over the marathon.  
The one-eyed thing looked at him, and the human shivered.  
The roitelet was crazy. Absolutely crazy. How did he even get there in the first place. With his wolverine monster friend.  
The blue eye looked at the sky:  
\- You know... Once I was just like you all. I felt like Valley was my home, stuff like that. I wanted to come back too, but when I did, instead of a proper greeting, all the King's men, and you too, hunted me down for the whole day.  
Silence fell.  
In a few moments the kinglet continued:  
\- Since then I've lost all the respect for this place. It's not worth it. It was my home before, but it's not anymore.  
The wolverine chuckled:  
\- We are the power here now. - she put her gigantic clawed paw on the roitelet's hand, covering it fully. - So now during our dimension-hopping it's more like... Burn down the King's palace? - WHY NOT? Ride a gigantic iguana to the portal? - WHY THE FUCK NOT? Electrocute all King's men at once? - OHHH FUN.  
Silence fell again, before the roitelet's counterpart from the world they were in sat up sharply:  
\- YOU RODE A GIGANTIC IGUANA TO THE PORTAL?!  
\- Yup.


	31. ...Just a little more emotional than usual

A boglodite and a weird yellow triangle were standing on the balcony, watching the power station in the distance.  
Well, "standing", as the alien was leaning on the heavy marble railing and the dream demon was sitting on it.  
It was getting dark in the city, the Sun disappeared already, but they kept standing under the cooling sky, watching the people below.  
It was even...adorable, how these tiny human beings wwere hurrying to their cozy burrows, not even knowing what their planet actually endured today.  
The boglodite looked at the triangle.  
\- It's been a year since you've got there.  
\- Yeah.  
For a few minutes they waited for something, and then Boris spoke again:  
\- Have you ever thought of going back?  
\- I did. - the only eye moved from the power station to the people below. - But you know, since I have partial amnesia I'm pretty sure I can't live there anymore.  
They both sighed. Since the horrific day and a failed arcnet hunt the triangle was slowly, but surely losing his memory of his past life, and now it went even to his appearance in the world of Creatures and aliens.  
\- All that I remember now are the week we spent in Pigshit town and Hoover town, and the hunt I got injured at.  
\- That's sad. - the boglodite noticed that someone in the building in front of them was watching Lastman again. The quality was shit, but the person kept trying. Maybe Maria would be interested...  
\- And sun in the corridor. I remember it so clearly now. - the triangle didn't notice that his listener was deep in thoughts, and was just looking at his tiny black clawed hands. - I don't want...I don't want to forget this too. - he gulped. - I already know my past just by the series on the PC, I don't want my story with you all to be known just by a bunch of photos and our diaries.... - but before he could continue, a third being looked outside.  
\- Guys? - the roitelet asked carefully.  
Bill blinked with orange, but didn't seem that annoyed, so the roitelet decided to proceed. He walked out and leaned on the railing just like the boglodite.  
\- I thought you were asleep. - Boris muttered grumpily.  
\- I was. I just... I woke up, and I couldn't fall back asleep again, and I started thinking...I don't know how to explain that...  
\- Go ahead either way. - Bill emitted a sound similar to a giggle. - We will understand you anyway.  
The roitelet blinked.  
\- After today's rampages I thought of something... I don't fit into my own world anymore. I became too... different in these five months I've been with you. I am...How to say that... I understand my power now even better than before. I became far more adventurous and even naughty than I've been throughout my life. - he looked at his shaking hands. - If someone would tell me that in a year I could fight off Chorum or Christo Canyon I would laugh in his face. I am still weak, still with the heart problem I had, since my electricity keeps messing my own heartbeat, every dimension hopping like that could possibly kill me, but...  
\- ...but you grew to enjoy these now? - one of his listeners interrupted his speech.  
\- Yes. Because of that even the world I was from doesn't feel like home anymore. I've seen too many of them, and it's hard to understand that this world is home and I shouldn't do anything like jumping over the van or climbing trees...  
\- ...or kicking Zenkova's ass in public.  
\- MOOOOVE BITCH - the triangle screamed loudly enough for the people down below to stop and look around in attempts to find the one who made the sound.  
-...Yes. And what's worse... I don't know if I like the old me or the new me more. Sometimes I just want to forget it all and go back to my world, because I know there are people who worry about me there, and sometimes I feel like I am a fucking mess and I should stop being so mushy and just fucking fight it off. I still can't balance myself and it's... it's terrifying.  
Both the demon and the boglodite fell silent.  
\- I guess it is just the result of the changing of the worlds... - the boglodite scratched his beard. - Like a jetlag, but worse, since everything changed completely, and from the alpha you've been in your world you've turned into an ordinary member of the pack.  
\- ...I'd rather be an ordinary member of a pack that accepts me than an alpha of the ones who fear and hate me. - the shaking roitelet mumbled silently. - I've never felt as loved as I am here in my entire life. In the Valley we've been mostly fighting each other, and the villagers despised us too because we were "corrupt by our evil desires". Then after Howard summoned us and took my eye in that new world I've also been feared and despised because of what I am. But here...you're a freaking bunch of the beings from all over the motherfucking universe. You accepted me like a part of your family. And I don't really want to go, I think... But I probably must.   
The boglodite sighed, remembering the inner fight he had for months, before he finally accepted that the roitelet is here to stay. The nights he thought of just killing him off and making it look like an accident. The ideas of abandoning him in one of the worlds.   
Griffin's eyes in the end. The deep blue eyes full of hate.  
Yes. We've accepted him.  
But only because of Maria.  
His silence was probably interpreted in the wrong way, because the alien already felt two eyes staring at him. He stood up, stretched, and opened a secret niche in the wall.  
Both one-eyed beings watched the blue glow coming from it.  
\- Drink. - he passed the small bottles to them both. - We overthink everything. Let's just turn our emotions off for a while.  
The roitelet tried backing off, remembering the day he drunk it and what happened next, these few weeks of constant fear of being caught and Yazz's attempts to feed blockirator to him, but...  
\- Fine. - he took the bottle.  
\- That's my own stash, in case I will need it sometime. But I feel like you need it more. - the alien raised his hand in a symbolic gesture.  
The demons followed, and the glowing bottles silently tringed when the glass edges met.  
The liquid tasted just like it did back then, but this time the roitelet managed to make it to the bed before passing out.  
\- What were you talking about there? - Maria took her headphones off and stopped the stream. - You didn't look good when you were walking out... Are you sure you're okay? Maybe I was too harsh in these dimension hoppings?  
\- Nah, nah, we're good. - muttered the roitelet as he was getting cozy in his bed. - All great and stuff, - he yawned silently - just a little more emotional than usual.


	32. The fighters

He felt as if he was drowning in a deep dark vortex, going deeper and deeper. Images and colors raced in front of his binoculars, not allowing the alien to focus.  
When he finally reached the bottom and felt the ground under his shoes, the colors stopped swirling around.  
He saw two very familliar figures, all black, but the silhouettes were clear.  
The fighters run towards each other, and in a second they collided, falling on the concrete ground, biting and kicking and punching each other, tearing apart each other's clothes and flesh. They rolled on the ground in pure madness, growling loudly, red highlights illuminating their crazy eyes and binoculars.  
Finally one of them broke and rolled away, dragging his small body away, his trench soaked in blood.  
The bigger silhouette soon followed, and in a moment they were fighting again.  
The boglodite stepped back, cold shivers running up and down his spine and limbs. He tried to scream, but realised that he couldn't make a sound nor attract their attention any other way.  
\- They will fight until the end and there's no cure for that. - the alien winced, hearing a cold hoarse voice behind him. Attempting to turn, he realised that it was coming from a big black animalistic figure, whose glowing circle eyes were the only pure white thing in this world.  
\- Why do they fight?! - he growled, trying to move further.   
\- Because hate consumed them. - was the answer. - They blame each other for their death.  
The alien looked at the two fighters again. There were no shootings nor electricity, they were fighting like two cornered animals. He saw that madness once, on a dog fighting ring. Luckly, back then the Creature interferred before the dogs could kill each other, but the white being definitely couldn't reach this place.  
\- For how long more will they fight? - he understood that he was sounding like a little pup that met something scary for the first time in his life.   
The answer made the alien freeze:  
\- For eternity.  
He felt how his limbs were slowly going numb, seen them disappearing. It felt terrifying, but what's more terrifying was the fight right in front of him. This time the small being won, but he knew that it's not forever.  
The last thing he saw before fully disappearing was the bigger figure run towards the winner again, the bloody drool hanging out of the teethed maw.

The boglodite winced and woke up, sitting up on his bed.  
\- Arrr, I fell asleep fully clothed again... - he yawned wide.  
Still, the image of two beasts fighting was poisoning his mind. He wanted to kill the roitelet. He didn't want him here. He would have ended up like this.  
The boglodite looked at his shaking hands as he was walking away.  
He killed way too many to remember them all, but could he really kill the small one-eyed thing?   
\- Good morning.  
Alien winced, looking up. The roitelet was sitting on the kitchen, drinking something from a big mug with a fennec print. The image was old and scratched, and it looked like the fennec also doesn't have his right eye.  
\- Good morning. - he replied rather carefully. Every time he was looking at the kinglet he saw the small silhouette, dragging his body away from the other fighter, leaving bloody traces on the concrete ground. - I...uh...I'm sorry.  
The roitelet's weird expression was probably an equivalent of him raising an eyebrow, but since he had none it looked more odd than understandable.  
But at least the boglodite could look at him normally again.


	33. Kigurumi

When he entered his room that day there was a parcel waiting for him on the bed.  
Maria was all in the art, so deep in there that she seemingly didn't notice the roitelet coming.  
\- Uh...Maria? - he poked her fluffy side. - What's this?  
The perunium turned to the parcel for a second, before going back to drawing again:   
\- Ah, that's for you. A gift.  
Rizel carefully came closer to the package. A gift. For him. All of a sudden. Okay.  
The parcel was rather big, but soft and light, the packaging light brown paper crinkled under his fingers. The kinglet noticed how his roommate moved her ears as she was hearing these sweet asmr-like sounds.  
The package didn't have any labels or anything written on it, so in a few minutes of fiddling with it he just broke the paper.  
\- Cloth? - he grabbed the purple sleeve and pulled the whole thing out. - What exactly is that?   
Maria turned from the screen and was watching him with geniune interest. His expression must've been so funny that the being fuffled and blushed.  
\- That's a kigurumi. We've noticed that you're cold at night, so we decided to get you something to sleep in and keep warm.  
Rizel looked up:  
\- But why something like that?!  
Creature shrugged:  
\- What else would help? This thing was probably made by the Creatures, and it's of one of my characters called Master, I think you two have really similar personalities. - she shown him a drawing of a big purple mustelid with a skull face.  
\- Mmm-hmm - he grumpily observed the kigurumi again. - Thank you all, I guess... - he still felt like she was watching him.  
When he looked up, he saw her grinning wide:  
\- Please put it on.  
The roitelet almost fell off the bed:  
\- I'm not wearing this thing! - he backed off - Have you seen me and have you seen a kigurumi of some alien ferret monster?!  
\- PLEEEEEEEEASE - screeched Maria, stretching forward. The kinglet saw his reflection in her binoculars and teeth, and realised that it's better to actually try.  
After a few minutes of shame behind the wardrobe door, he finally looked out. The Creatures, if they actually did make it, did a really good job, it was fitting perfectly.  
He made a few steps forward, still very ashamed of himself. The tail was almost dragging on the floor, and that was making him feel uncomfortable.  
Maria closely observed him from her computer chair with a serious look on her musteline face:  
\- Hmmm... Can you turn around, please?  
The roitelet turned a few times, the tail of the kigurumi flying up in the air. Last time he felt so ashamed happened years ago. He just hoped that nobody could see him like tha...  
\- Oh, hi. - the door opened. Before he could turn to the door to see who that was the new visitor screeched - OH MY GOSH YOU ARE SO CUTE - and bolted forward, locking Rizel in a tight hug.  
\- I....am....not... - he tried to get away, before Marina would decide to cover him in her half-husky kisses.  
\- Yes, you are! You are so cute and adorable and oh my gosh I can't contain myself sorry - she disappeared from the room as fast as she entered it. When Marina looked in again in a few minutes, to tell them that the dinner is ready, the kinglet has already changed back and managed to push the kigurumi under the bed so nobody could find it.

That night he was trying to get comfortable in his bed, but it was terribly cold. The white face of the Moon was looking right into their windows, and everything lit by that ghostly lantern felt even colder than it actually was.  
Maria was curled up into a fluffy doughnut, and it was no use trying to wake her up.  
He was lying silently, until he felt his teeth chattering from the cold.  
\- ARRRRR, fuck it. - Rizel sat up, wincing when his feet touched the cold floor. He dug up the kigurumi from the dusty depths under the bed, wiped the dust and Maria's shedded fur off and put it on. Surprisingly, it actually felt much less colder in that thing. The tail was long enough to cover his feet when he was curled up, and soon the kinglet was sound asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://sta.sh/0euu4xugrvk - Master in question


	34. Seizures

She looked very worried, enough for it to be noticeable.  
Finally it took over and the girl creeped closer to the roitelet that was reading something on a tablet, and grabbed his hand.  
Rizel winced from the sudden could touch and turned to her:  
\- What the...?!  
Maria licked her whiskers:  
\- I just rewatched episode 15... Have you had any of these seizures...or how to call them...after you've got here?  
The roitelet thought for a second, looking into her binoculars:  
\- No, not even once. I guess that's because either you or the Creature is here... - he would keep speaking, but something stopped him.  
The perunium smiled softly (though from the side it still looked rather creepy) and went back to drawing and watching Lastman.  
Kinglet gulped. "Seizures no... but if only she'd know about the nightmares I have all the time she wouldn't be so happy."  
The bloodred and black image of him fighting a boglodite kept popping up in his mind, and he was worrying that when he goes to sleep he will see the continuation.  
"I don't want to fight you any more."


	35. He doesn't

Blackout.  
\- After he can walk by himeself, you will return him to his dimension.  
\- But she seems to like him...  
\- YOU. WILL. RETURN. HIM.  
Blackout.  
Sounds of breaking ice. Angry scream.  
"Oh shitfuck, I will need to save that motherfucker now."  
Blackout..  
\- Psst. Why do we have to take him with us?  
\- Because he's family.  
\- He's not.  
Blackout.  
"I will make it look like an accident"  
The kinglet grabs his sleeve.  
"...not today."  
Blackout.  
He barely have been nice to the roitelet. Mostly pushing him around, growling at him, quarreling over the smallest things.  
He started accepting him as family only recently, after some midnight talks. After he offered the kinglet the blockirator and he took it, Yazz and Inverted annoyed the boglodite for a few days about how did he even manage that.  
He had no answer.  
He just, well, did.  
The alien knew that this hate was destroying him from inside. The scar hurt and bled at times. He was getting nervous. Losing his appetite.  
Sometimes the only thing he could think of was destroying this little long-haired being with lips like a letter "m".  
He tried concentrating on the job, got promoted several times, but still couldn't get satisfied.  
The last straw was a sudden realisation that when he was biting in the neck of a runaway criminal he was imagining the roitelet in front of him.  
After he came back to the headquarters covered in blood, the criminal partially eaten, partially spread on ten square metres, he knew it was time to get a vacation.  
Then the alien tried to concentrate on art.  
After breaking the fourth sketch and throwing it into the bin because the girl on the commissioned drawing kept looking like the kinglet, making him cancel the commission, he stopped trying.  
He talked to the Creatures about it, and tried to talk to others too, but the only one who really listened was Griff.  
\- Just kill him off. You can.  
...the arcanian still hadn't accepted the new family member.  
He tried to find relief in the nightclub universe, but Griffin from there just offered him more alcohol, and the walks under the falling snow with his other self didn't help much. Once they just sneaked into the forgotten park, where he screamed and punched and kicked the trash bin so hard that it broke off and landed into the pond, breaking the thin ice.  
It didn't help.  
He went to arcnet hunts alone.  
He fought off Yaz and his gang. Alone. Multiple times.  
But when he was coming home, Maria was happy. Her new friend was helping her, in some aspects that no one else could provide.  
He couldn't just kill someone who was making his little sister happy.  
"She's not your sister, though."

The boglodite was going somewhere, and passing by a half-opened door he heard loud voices arguing about something.  
\- WELL I FUCKING KNOW THAT I CAN KILL HIM JUST LIKE I KILLED DAVE ONCE.  
The boglodite stopped sharply and made a few steps back. Intriguing.  
Two small roitelets were arguing, while a few bigger figures stood around. He recognised the doctor and the redhead, the third one in a blue suit was seemingly the creator...what was his name again? Something starting with "J" as well...  
\- HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESN'T TREAT ME FROM THE POINT OF "AWWW HOW ADORABLE". HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESN'T OBEY ME OUT OF FEAR.  
The boglodite fuffed silently. The realisation started to crawl into his mind...  
\- YES I FUCKING STAY THERE BECAUSE OF THE MOTHERFUCKING BOGLODITES. The girl is caring, but she often views me as something small and weak, as well as the others. Boris doesn't.   
The door was slammed open, but when the roitelet looked out he saw nobody.  
Over the corner the boglodite grinned. "If only you knew the real reason why..."


	36. Homework

\- You sure you don't want another? I can go buy a new one...or we can split it... - the perunium licked the top of the office chair.  
\- Nah, I'm good. - muttered the roitelet, typing another message to his creator.  
\- I just want to make you feel happier... - the fluffy monstrosity moved her ears.  
Rizel looked up:  
\- If you want to make me feel happier, write your paper.  
The mustelid dropped ears and looked like a fursuit that was too big for the wearer.

He was trying to talk to the dream demon and the boglodites, when they heard a loud scream from his and her room.  
The roitelet immideately dashed in, to find the perunium banging her head at the keyboard.  
The table around was covered in scratches, and the opened microsoft word file had a few pages of "y7uht6bnuj miyu7hjbnhj7y7uhjnyu76hty7u6h7hbbhgnyjb ynhvyvyuhjnbyybh jnyj", indicating that even before the sound she emitted she's been trying to write it and keep her sanity.  
For some time the roitelet was just standing at the doorstep, watching the madness going on. He didn't know what to do. He had never encoutered such behaviour, never had to deal with that sort of stuff. He heard about his minions going crazy over the cult and stuff like that, but never had to witness it himself.  
\- Maria... You...you okay? - Rizel asked carefully.  
The giant ferret didn't respond, but at least she stopped mutilating the keyboard.  
Roitelet looked out and made a vague gesture, which can be interpreted as "I'll deal with it.", and closed the door silently.  
She didn't move.  
\- I'm a total mess. Pathetic vaste of boglodite flesh and Creature's force. - her voice wasn't trembling, she was serious. She meant it.  
\- No. - he carefully stroked her. - What's wrong? What got you in such state? - poor roitelet couldn't find any words, and he knew he probably sounded stupid.  
Maria sat up, trapping his hand between her fluffy back and the office chair for a few seconds, and howled:  
\- Fighting is the only thing I'm good at! I'm a motherfucking idiot and nothing ever could change that!  
\- Shhh, relax, relax my dude. You will write that paper. I believe in you. You've got everything, you can do it. - he tried to sound confident, but again he knew he didn't. And he also knew that she felt that.  
For some moments they both waited in silence, and then he backed off and disappeared from the room for a while.  
When he came back, she kept breaking the keyboard, adding more pages of the "54rftdt5rgy6vh ytuhg7 bgutvgyb6gvttyg6hbhdnhc jfgv jb fvjnbnjfvg jnbmgjkm gjmu bhdvct" sort of stuff. When he was passing by the others, he noticed how some of them bolted after him, but the Creatures and Yazz stopped them "They need to learn how to solve things like that themselves."  
\- Maria. - he put some chocolate bars with "LA UNIVERSAL" and a cup of chocolate milk on the scratched table.  
The perunium moved its nose and ears, but didn't make a sound.  
\- You know...I've felt like that too. I know how you feel. When I just got this body, we were still in the university. Plus, I've missed quite a bit of lessons first, since I've been in the hospital with my eye being cut in half. When I was able to attend lessons again, I realised I know nothing. It was almost the end of the year, the paperwork was piling up, and from the stress my host forgot everything. I was spending nights trying to write at least something. - he saw that she listened. - I won. And I know that you will too. Don't give up.  
The mustelid sniffed, the wet nose leaving traces on the computer table.  
\- Let's do this - you will take these chocolates and go to sleep, and tomorrow from the beginning we will just sit there and I will help you writing your paper. Okay? - he gulped.  
\- Okay. - muttered the being before consuming the chocolates, snoring and slurping like a pug or a pig.  
Looking at how she licks milk off her whiskers the roitelet finally felt like the danger has passed.

***

\- HOW DO YOU EVEN LIVE WITH THAT MONSTER?! - Richard screamed, watching how the gigantic fire mustelid was biting into Chorum's flesh.  
\- I saw how she does her homeworks that's weeks overdue. - muttered the roitelet.


	37. Impossible

He blinked a few times.  
\- They...They...they pair us? - he looked at the teen in a messy orange shirt with "Don't you fucking worry". She nodded:  
\- Yeah.  
\- But Howard fucking hates me! - he blinked again. - If only they'd seen how he was chasing me around the Valley they wouldn't do so. He's a fucking asshole. He wants me dead.  
Maria shrugged:  
\- That doesn't matter to them. They think you two look cute together.  
\- CUTE?! - the roitelet growled, his eye going black.  
\- It's not me who thinks so. - she shrugged. - Either way...  
\- EITHER WAY TELL THEM THAT THIS IS FUCKING IMPO... - he almost screamed, and the boglodite had to silence him.  
Feeling the symbiont gem pressed closer to your lips wasn't nice, and so the roitelet had to fall silent before he wiggled out.  
\- That's not just unlikely, that's impossible! - he growled silently. - How can they not realize that?!  
Maria smiled sadly:  
\- Well, if you'd protest, you know what they would say.  
Rizel sighed:  
\- I know. "You're not even real". - he made a quotation mark gesture and rolled his only eye.  
\- Not just that. - Maria slid down the wall and flopped on her butt - Something along these lines: "You call this relationship "impossible", but your stay with a bunch of weird aliens isn't possible as well." There's nothing you can do, nothing at all.  
The roitelet sighed.  
He wanted to say much more, explain that even if they are into this it is their own private life, and many other things, but he didn't feel that he has enough energy to do it. Nor willpower.  
He has to accept that for the people who live in this world he's just a cute being that they can draw however they want to, and according to the multiverse theory these versions of him could actually exist. He cringed. Maybe coming here was a bad decision, afterall.  
The perunium licked his cheek:  
\- I know you're not like that. - she whispered. - You're still my hero.


	38. The card

\- Look, it's the card from "Sticks and Shovels". - Maria quickly put a plastic card in his hands.  
\- ...and why the ffff do you think I might even need it? - the roitelet made a wry face, but accepted the card. The girl fuffed:  
\- It allows you to get an almost 90% discount on all the food there. It's the only one we have, but nobody uses it, pretty much, we rarely go there. Nobody just, well, passes by the cafe.  
He fiddled with the thing. Nice new card, good design, not even scratched. But there was one "BUT", that he couldn't get out of his head.  
\- How did you even get it? - he looked up, meeting the pair of binoculars.  
\- Yazz once helped the founder a lot, and the latter just didn't know how to thank him. Yazz can eat there for free forever, and the holder of the card can do it with amazing discounts. Something like that. - She shrugged, making a strand of chocolate-colored hair fall off her shoulder. - Most of the cafes, especcially in the centre, know well about the fact. They just haven't seen any of us yet.  
\- So, like, from my appearance with the card they will automatically get to know that I'm from Yazz, right?!  
\- Yeap. It's actually pretty good. - Maria made a vague gesture towards the window. - Special privileges. Better food. Stuff like that.  
****  
City centre. People were running around like they just heard the alarm about aliens attacking the Earth. But in other aspects it was almost Paxtown, just all the writing wason another language.  
The roitelet hobbled closer to a bench and flopped on it heavily, resembling a bag of potatoes dressed in a trench. His stomach was growling with hunger, but most of the money he had was spend on transport. If only he knew what kind of torture will this be, he would have never ageed to go. Fuck them.  
And the worst idea was to refuse to take the free pass...  
A bus passed by with gigantic futuristic windows. From the darkness inside they acted almost like mirrors, and the roitelet saw himself, the bench,... and the "Sticks and Shovels" on the right side and behind him.  
He looked into the wallet again.  
$6. And the card.  
Well, okay. If that card doesn't work, he could always run away throug the electricity system.  
***  
\- $7,53. Any discount cards or sertificates?  
He tried to gulp as silently as possible and gave the cassier his card.  
The thing beeped, and the cassier guped even louder than he did, her eyes widening.  
\- $0,50.  
People in the queue started murmuring something angry, but the cassier glared at them with such anger that most of them shut up almost immideately.  
No matter the silence, the roitelet still felt really insecure, and so he stuffed himself with the food as quickly as he could and disappeared from the cafe faster than a rocket from cape Canaveral.  
***  
\- Um...Maria... Maybe you would need the card more than I do? - the roitelet shivered.  
The perunium giggled:  
\- Oh, you felt the same too! - she looked at his serious face, stopped giggling and tried to look as serious as she possibly can. - To be completely honest... No, I wouldn't. Keep the thing. Maybe later you'll get used to it.  
The roitelet sighed and put in back into his pocket. Well, fine. Maybe he will actually need it someday.


	39. The meeting in the uni

They were standing in front of the glass case, thinking deeply about what to choose. To be honest, in this canteen in the style of 70-80-s aesthetic the choice wasn't that big. What mattered wasn't the taste, but if the thing was edible at all, or at least it LOOKED edible.  
They were thinking for about three more minutes, slowly making the cashier more and more mad with their looks, and then they finally made their choice - the salty soup with something like zukkini and cucumbers floating in it and beef with potatoes... which looked like they were made out of some powder and toilet paper rather than actual potatoes.  
Three portions - one for the roitelet and two for the boglodite.  
\- Are you going to eat that all alone? - Rizel glanced at his colleague with pure interest. The boglodite started quickly devouring the not so tasty looking soup from the second he sat down.  
\- Nah, that's also for Maria and Griffin - the alien sighed. - They'll get there soon. Maria is definitely somewhere around, she's finally handing her poor essay in to her curator.  
\- Uh-huh... - muttered the gloomy roitelet, watching the pieces of zukkini in the soup. Loud discussions about dissecting frogs on the table next to them didn't add any appetite.  
Suddenly the door swayed open and Maria dashed in like a hurricane, her hair and clothes all messy. She immideately flopped on the chair by the roitelet, almost spilling the soup that was meant for her, but she was too agitated and out of breath from running so fast that she couldn't say anything distinctly. In a couple of minutes her mood changed into a total apathy and she fell forward, her nose getting straight into the soup bowl.  
Trying to ignore the slanting looks from the tables around and the loud discussion about the breeding of Phasmatodea at home and on cannabis plantations they both made her sit up again. The mustelid still breathed heavily, sometimes chuffing when the sour soup was getting too deep into the nose, and her whiskers resembled small Niagara falls of salty broth.  
While they were trying to dry her whiskers with thin napkins that were found in the depths of the napkin box on the table Griffin silently approached them and stayed.  
The rest of the lunch passed rather okay, except the moment the two dudes that were discussing Phasmatodea in cannabis argued too much and thrown their sticky shit of a porridge at one another.  
After finishing eating and pasing their plates in they walked out of the building of the biological school of the city M university and wandered into the direction of the nearest subway station.  
\- It it just me, or something just dripped on me? - Griffin shaked the feeling off.  
\- It's not just you, something drizzled on me too! - Maria got all worried again.  
\- And on me. - muttered Boris and looked back.  
The sky on the horizon was of a color that could only be compared to Inverted's fur. And that black hell was quickly moving towards the group...  
\- Oh shitfuck. - the boglodite exclaimed.  
\- Dudes...I need to get to my school as well to pass in the documents to the principal, you know? - Maria moved her ears in the nervous way.  
They decided not to lose any more time and hurried to the subway station. It started to drizzle harder and harder.  
"We're gonna be late" - thought the roitelet, but luckly the heavy part of the rain started right at the moment they've reached the doors of Maria's faculty.  
\- Fucking perfect. - Griffin shook the water off like a dog, making an old bust of some unknown scientist in the corridor all wet. - Now we are stuck here until the rain ends.  
\- Duh, it's not even that hard. - Rizel nodded to the window,  
\- You don't say! - growled the arcanian, but was stopped by both boglodites.  
\- I'll be right back, just hand the paper in and get back! - Maria screeched as she was running upstairs.  
Luckly her "be right back" stretched to half an hour, so when they finally walked out the building the rain has already stopped.  
\- How fun... - Rizel looked at the thinning dogrose bushes. From their leaves it was drizzling heavier than the rain a few minutes ago.  
\- And the same ol' shit happens every spring and summer for the last three years. - grumpily added the boglodite.  
All four slowly wandered towards the subway entrance again.


	40. What does a teen like?

The seller looked at the trio. Man, did they look weird...But oh well, a job is a job.  
\- Would you like anything or are you just looking?  
All three winced and looked up. Finally the small one in a fancy knitted hat spoke:  
\- We are looking for a gift for...uhm...his sister. - he poked the tallest one with a beard.  
\- Oh. How old is she?  
\- Sixteen. - the tallest one muttered. His voice was so hoarse, maybe he was ill so that's why he didn't talk much...  
\- Oh, so still a student then...What does she like? - Hopefully these three will just buy some fancy pink coloring book or something and just go away. The seller started to feel nervous under the cold stare of the only eye of the last one of the trio. He was the smallest one, but judging by his look he definitely was the boss here.  
\- Murder. - he looked seller in the eye, making shivers run up and down his spine.  
\- ...and drawing. - the fancy-hat one interrupted.  
\- Also taxidermy. - the hoarse voice got even deeper.  
\- AND SCULPTING. - he was smiling nervously, constantly touch his hat.  
The other two just nodded. Yeah. A good list. That sums it up.


	41. Rooftop night talk

It was a quiet night on the countryside. In the house it was quite hot and stuffy, so they decided to sleep on the roof. Well, at least the female part. First they really tried to fall alseep, but then Serleena started talking, and soon the other two girls also joined in. They started talking about the sky and the weather, but soon it switched to the ones that were trying to sleep below.  
\- Why do you think they can't fix their problems? - asked one of the girls cautiously.  
\- They both are too...how to say that... too closed and reserved. They simply won't listen to anyone. Or they will, but later they both will be like "oh, okay" and then they'll do nothing anyway. But I'm no psychologist, just a drunken kylothian. - Serleena emitted a sound similar to a human hiccup and turned away.  
\- You shouldn't have that much alcohol. What even was that? Vodka? Tequila? That's basically fermented plants, you know how bad you will feel in the morning? - Marina sat up and stared at her, her husky ears twitching nervously.  
\- Nah, still worth it, my dudes, still worth it. - they kylothian rolled away, getting even more entangled in her sleeping bag.  
\- Are you sure that the next morning we won't wake up on a frying pan? - Maria wiggled nervously, changing the topic.  
\- Nah, the Sun rises on the other side, so I'd worry more about our dudes down there. - Serleena laughed. - Now let's sleep, we'll have a long day ahaed of us. Wouldn't be fun if we'd come down as three sleepy shits, right?  
The perunium smiled "Right".  
All three yawned, curled up and soon were sound asleep.

Their snoring was silent, but still was heard through the open windows in the bedrooms on the second floor.  
Both the roitelet and the boglodite were lying in their beds, staring at the wooden ceiling.  
Everyone else in the rooms was sound asleep as well, just they still couldn't, Serleena's words echoing in their minds.  
"Too reserved"  
"Won't listen"

"Won't listen"

"Won't listen"


	42. Random facts (because why not)

A bit of stuff just about the Chub's world and relations with Lastman universe.

1) Chuborinci actually has a large collection of Lastman fanart and fanfics, and has all the episodes saved from different sources, plus 8 comic books in digital format. It is both proud and embarrassed of its collection, and barely shares it - only Maria can watch at times.  
Every fanart, no matter how shitty, goes into the folders.

2) When Rizel just appeared in that world, he was mostly sleeping, waking up only to eat or shower, and then he was going back to sleep. Then, he had a major jetlag type of thing, because he couldn't adapt to the world around - his inner clock was basically broken and he had to adapt again, not quite realising when it's time to sleep and when it's not. Then he started going to sleep at the same time as Maria, pretty much, since they live in the same room. That means going to sleep at around three AM and normally waking up at 10-11 AM. That is rather nice when he's in the foreign world, but when he comes back to his own, that's where the problems start, because the time differs and that means that he can't fall asleep until 4 AM, and when it's time to wake up it's like...  
\- Master, it's time to wake up.  
\- The fact that it's 1 PM doesn't mean that it's time to wake me up!

3) Griffin still secretly hates Rizel, and hopes that he won't be back from one of the dimension-hoppings. What's even more enraging for him is that everyone started paying more attention to the roitelet than to him, but since the kinglet is generally accepted Griffin feels like he can't say anything openly. He remembers that he was accepted back after basically betraying the boglodite(s), and knows that no matter the friendship one more slip and he will be thrown away.

4) Rizel and Maria soon developed sort of a symbiotic relationship, both benefitting from one another. Maria is a good fighter, but she gets shy and awkward in front of most people, can't speak in public and is afraid of big crowds. Sometimes she gets distracted easily, sometimes she doesn't know how to act - especcially if she had never done it before. She is mostly a hunter and fighter, a protector, rather than an obedient student and a fancy celebrity. So Maria opens the portals, and makes sure that the roitelet is safe and will not get hurt. In exchange, he teaches her the things she doesn't know. From all family only Chub, Yazz and Boris were interested in making Maria grow, like her studies with Michel, everyone else still kinda...took her as she is, thinking of her as of a finished masterpiece of Chuborinci's. 

5) Rizel is the last one who they can take in. There's just not enough space for one extra being, unless it would like to sleep on the floor, because you touch Boris' armchair or Yazz's sofa - you die.

6) Maria often gifts Rizel plush animals, because she has no idea what else to gift. So far he has like...five - a lion, an iguana, a fennec, a chinchilla and something...odd. And he has NO IDEA what to do with them, so since he can't refuse to accept them he puts them on the bed. Most of them have follow-me type of eyes, so they kinda...silently judge him from their porch. The "I-saw-what-you-did-last-night" type of judge. It makes the roitelet extremely nervous at times.

7) They all have at least one account in a social media, and the roitelet decided that for him it will be Instagram - mostly because his creator is there. His account is almost empty, just with some photos from the dimension-hoppings, like, a view of the Valley, an iguana, some shiny rocks, just something to fill the account. He likes talking to his creator, but can't do that very often, since they both are pretty busy.


	43. Three random story doodles

He was nearly asleep when he heard a silent "hey" from above.  
\- Hey. Rizel. Rizel. You asleep yet?  
\- Hnnnnnn... - the roitelet looked at the perunium.  
\- Are you ticklish? - the mustelid moved her head like a curious dog.  
Kinglet shivered.  
\- ...I d-d-don't think I am.  
\- Okay. - the musteline head disappeared, as she was back to looking at Caroo's NSFW gallery.  
Rizel sighed. He just hoped she won't surprise him that night with trying to test if he is. Because he actually probably is.  
She actually surprised him another way that night...by rolling over and falling from the second tier in the middle of the night.

***  
\- I don't think she must be spending so much time with that "kinglet". She changes very fast, and I don't think it's alright. - the arcanian crossed his arms and glared at the being angrily.  
Creature chuckled loudly and sat back:  
\- You see... I haven't created her to be a finished masterpiece. I've created her to evolve, just like her counterpart from another world.  
\- Mmmm-hmmm... - Griffin still didn't believe, judging by his look.  
\- I'm serious. Even I, the creature that was created to be "the second best after the POFT herself", even I am evolving all the time.  
\- Oh yeah.  
\- Either way, I am happy she grows. She started to get to be more confident, more serious, and just look at that stance. - Creature really seemed proud of its little creation.  
\- Do you think they may be...you know... like in love or anything? - Griffin still tried to insist, not going to accept his failure.  
Creature's laugh made the roitelet step back from the door he was standing pressed to, trying to overhear what they were talking about. He knew it was bad, but it was about HIM, so he had to hear. Stepping back he didn't look where he was putting his foot down, so he stepped on a new chew toy, which immideately rolled away, making the small being trip and almost fall.  
Luckly, he managed to quickly grab Maria's tail and keep his balance. Maria wasn't pleased by such a rude waking up, but he nodded to the door.  
\- Nah. They both are not interested in anything like that. Plus the age and species difference. They are fine. Unlike you, old faggot. You think I don't know what were you doing last night?  
Griffin blushed as blue as the sky behind him.  
\- She was 21 already.  
\- And you are over ten thousands years old. Talk about age difference.  
The arcanian puffed up and walked away, pouting. Creature giggled:  
\- Dudes, I know you heard everything. How did you like that comeback?

***  
At a con again.  
They all thought that nothing can surprise them anymore, after Creature's drift in the shopping cart at night and the day...the evening it stole 150 rolls of pink toilet paper and played with them all night, covering the parking lot in a moving and rustling carpet of pink soft napkins.  
But that...  
It was the day Tomie agreed to sing for them all again.  
\- Moins d'une minute  
Sur un ring comme au lit...  
Something big trotted through the doorway behind her. It passed by, then quickly stopped and walked backwards.  
Chub. With a ceramic soup pot on its head.  
Their eyes widened, Tomie, however, didn't notice anything, and kept singing:  
\- Un uppercut  
Et tu vas au tapis...  
The being silently walked inside and bumped into one of the speakers.  
Both the roitelet and the boglodite slowly shook their heads. No. No. Please not that.  
Tomie didn't notice anything, she was singing with her eyes closed, while behind her two long thin arms were touching the biggest speaker, measuring it.  
\- Un mauvais coup  
Sur un ring comme au lit  
Un mauvais coup...  
The being swayed back as hard as it could...

\- QUI DEGAGE DE MA VIE!

The soup pot hit the speaker, breaking in half.

\- DEGAGE DE MA VIE!

The Creature quickly grabbed the two halves and silently disappeared in the doorway.  
Tomie still didn't notice anything.

\- QUI DEGAGE DE MA VIE!

Both, the alien and the roitelet were trying hard not to facepalm. Their counterparts from the other worlds nodded to them symathetically, in the "I know that feel, bro" type of manner. Tomie would keep singing, but Harry Zenkova ruined it completely by laughing so loudly that everyone else started to try to shut him up, but there Jay joined in laughing.  
Tomie frowned:  
\- What's so fucking funny, huh?!  
...Griffins looked at her angry face and burst out laughing as well.  
Angry Tomie jumped off the stage and run away, and right in the same doorway she bumped into the Creature. Only a circular mark on the fur was telling that the being was stuck in a soup pot a few minutes ago.  
\- Have I missed anything important from the show? - it asked cautiously, carefully stroking shaking angry Tomie.  
\- You were the main star today. - someone waved to it, nearly crying from laughter.


	44. Post-holiday hangover

\- How did you spend the last three days? - asked Yazz as he was entering the apartment. - Missed us?  
\- Ummm....- Maria looked very insecure.- Not quite, to be honest... - she glanced at the arguing roitelet and arcanian and sighed.  
\- Have they just started? - Yazz chuckled.  
\- Yeah...  
\- How adorable. - the tall boglodite grinned. - HEY! No fighting on my property. - his voice got serious enough for the electrokinetic and the alien to stop quarreling.  
\- They've decided to make peace for these three days. Tolerated each other long enough, no fights to split, and then this...  
\- IT WAS FUCKING AMAZING, YOU KNOW? - Griffin dashed forward, pushing the roitelet away. - We were eating what we want, going to sleep when we want, and we were wearing our pajamas pretty much all the time, getting out of them just to shower!  
Rizel was just standing there, nodding. Yeah, it was nice. But the fact that Yazz found him in the kigurumi was still rather shameful for him.  
In these three days it was just pure bliss, even though Maria overslept after sleeping on the balcony for the first night and then felt dizzy for the rest of the day. After passing her exam she was so happy that she went to McDonald's and bought over $25 worth of food, so they were stuffed enough to feel sleepy and sick. They weren't doing any dimension-hoppings, they just stayed home, because they just didn't feel the need to do all of these. They were alright at home. That forgotten feeling.  
And now it all will start again, the same routine... It's...saddening.  
He slowly slipped back into the room.

Yazz's voice caught him mid-change, as he was standing behind the wardrobe door, trying to pull his pants up:  
\- Ah, post-holiday hangover, right? - Yazz chuckled. - I know that feeling. Though if that'd make you feel better - we will be leaving soon for about a week. We'll most likely take Griffin too, so it will be just you, Maria, and maybe Chub and Boris too if they will decide to stay.  
\- Good to know. - he finally finished buttoning his shirt and looked out. - Oh, and by the way, you're sitting on my trench.  
\- Ouch, sorry. - Yazz moved a little, freeing the trench. - Either way, the dinner is ready.


	45. Bring me the Rizel

The big dark room was almost empty. A tall white fluffy being with binoculars instead of eyes was sitting in an armchair, surrounded by its minions.  
One of them worked carefully on being's arm until he managed to get the needle in by poking the skin through. The first drops of the glowing liquid dropped into creature's veins, making it yawn and get a little more comfortable.  
\- Bring me the Rizel. - it growled, before sliding a little further into the soft embrace of the armchair. Most of the minions walked away to the labyrinth of corridors around, and soon their voices weren't heard anymore.  
***  
He couldn't hide from the trained aliens, and even his powers didn't help him at all.  
They wore rubber glowes, and some even suits, so they must've known about what kind of thing he could do...  
Either way, he was captured. The minions tried to be careful with him, but that didn't mean that faling to the cold wooden floor was any less painful.  
Nevertheless, he bolted up almost the same moment he hit the floor.  
\- WHO ARE YOU?!  
\- I am asking the questions here, my dear. - the Creature ridged whiskers. - What are you?  
\- WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE OTHERS?!  
\- Answer me first. What are you?  
\- Grrrrrrr - he tried to zap it with a lighting bolt, but it was no use.  
The being grinned. It started to get fun.


	46. There was nobody...

There was nobody who he could call for help. Vivaldi didn't answer, probably he was busy on an operation again. The other doctor didn't reply either. Oh why, why, why did he decide to go outside pretty much alone? It wasn't romantic or anything.  
He fell on the nearest bench heavily. Electric sparks running all over his coat. Arrr, if it wasn't so painful, maybe he could've made it at least to his tower.  
He curled up as much as he could, closes his only eye and clenched his teeth not to scream in pain, hoping that nobody would see him like this.  
He didn't know for how long has he been sitting like this, but suddenly someone gently touched his shoulder:  
\- Rizel? Do you need any help?  
The voice was unfamilliar, something similar to Siri's, but at that point he didn't care. He wasn't even surprised that that person knows his name.  
Shaking like crazy, he nodded weakly. Some lightnings around him were so bright that he could see them even with his eye closed.  
But that someone...they were here to help. That was calming.  
***  
\- Hnnnn... - he slowly opened his eye.  
Home? He was home? He doesn't remember anything...   
And that girl by his bed, she looks so terribly worried about him...  
Before he could say anything at all, she quickly, but carefully got to the bed and snuggled him, whispering:  
\- It'll be okay. It'll be okay. You will be okay. I will make sure of it. You will be okay.


	47. I passed with a C!

It was almost the beginning of an epic battle.  
Chorum VS Rizel VS Richard + Howard VS Rizel + Boris + Griffin  
The most tensed moment, one second and everything will turn into a battlefield...and there.... and there an absolutely ENORMOUS clawed paw falls on Chorum, squishing him and spreading him on the ground.  
\- I PASSED EEEEEET I PASEEEED EEEEEET I'VE GOT A C I PASSSSSSEEEEEEED EEEEEEEEEEEEEEET  
That sound made everyone press their hands to their ears in attempt to protect them from the sound.  
\- Maria! Maybe you could, like, shrink down and tell us everything properly?  
Maria listened, shrunk to her normal size, making a triple somersault in the air and landing on Chorum's shoulders, who just turned back to his human-like form and just wanted to stand up.  
\- I PASSSED AMERICAN STUDIES I PASSED THEM WITH A C I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE IT I PASSED AMERICAN STUDIES OH MY GOD I DID IT YES - she screeched especcially loudly.  
\- Maria... maybe you could move down from the poor Chorum and let us all just kick his butt finally?  
\- What a nice kiddo...


	48. The fringe

Maria's long hair always gets in her eyes...well, not eyes, binoculars, but that doesn't make stuff less uncomfortable.  
In the desert, during a fight with Chorum, Maria just licked her hand, enough for the saliva to drip down, and stroked her fringe back, enough for it to stick like that.  
Rizel's reaction:  
\- HOLY FUCK, MARIA!

After they came home, Maria has gone to the hairdresser's...and came back with a fringe that was nearly identical to Rizel's.  
\- HOLY FUCK, MARIA!


	49. Charles is back

The dream was getting slower and more... frozen.  
He descended to the bottom, feeling like the air was getting thicker around him, becoming moire water-y-like.  
Darkness. Darkness around. Only the darkness.  
From the moment he fell asleep, saw the wheels spinning around him as he was sinking deeper and deeper into the thick black liquid, he saw nothing but darkness.  
Finally he felt that he hit the glass-like bottom, making him fall on his knees, and then on all fours. For some moments he was just breathing deeply, trying to piece himself back together. After a minute he realised that he can't stay like that forever, and attempted to stand up.  
A familliar voice suddenly called him from behind, making the roitelet wince and then freeze, after he realised who the voice belonged to.  
\- Hello, Rizel. Missed me?  
The roitelet turned sharply and fell on the glass-like ground, eyeing the figure coming from the dark.  
\- CHARLES?  
\- We didn't talk in forever. Nice to see you back. Do you like it there, in your new world? 

***  
\- You...you okay? - two big clawed hands shook the roitelet.  
\- I...uh...yes... - he still wasn't used to seeing Maria with the same fringe as him.  
\- You were screaming and crying in your sleep, did you have a bad dream? - the perunium looked extremely worried, her tail and neckfluff fuzzing.  
\- Yes. - he looked away from the caring mustelid. - Yes, I'm okay. Just a bad dream.

 

\- Who is Charles?


	50. "He, who lies down with dogs, gets up with fleas"

"He who lies down with dogs, gets up with fleas" they said. They were damn right.  
He was standing by the fighting scene, looking at his reflection in the nearby puddle that was getting pink from the blood.  
For the last time he seen that kind of thing so long ago...at the Paxtown stadium, after Siri-Chorum devoured Prim.  
Blood was running down his chin and dripping into the puddle, giving it more red color. Now he is that monster.   
Becoming a part of a chimera, even for a few minutes, even for an emergency, leaves its traces. The roitelet has never actually eaten anyone alive, even the hearts of other roitelets were cooked, but right now... right now he wanted to do it.  
He licked off the blood, noticing how his other self from that world winced and how Howard looked away. The blood was so salty and even kind of bitter, but he didn't notice. It's not important.  
The roitelet wiped the rest of the blood away and slowly walked from the fighting scene. He didn't want to have anything in common with what was happening behind him at that moment, but the desire for fresh blood was taking over.  
He stumbled a few times, feeling how his limbs were getting more and more weak. The process of creating a chimera is quick, but requires a lot of energy, and right now he just doesn't really have any energy to spare anymore, it all was sucked out during the chimerisation.  
Suddenly a guard appeared from the right, blind side. Luckly, the roitelet managed to notice the edge of the sword and jump right before it hits him.  
It happened too fast for him to understand what even just happened.  
One second he was jumping away, feeling that one more sharp movement like that and he will freaking pass out...  
...the other he was biting into the guard's flesh, hot blood filling his mouth.   
He didn't even electrocute the human first. Who else attacks like that?  
A boglodite.  
Not everytime, since they shoot the prey or their target before it gets too close, but they don't hesitate to just freaking bite the attacker, and knowing their sharp teeth and the force they are clenching with, one bite is enough for most of the time.  
Like here - in a few moments the guard stopped struggling and fell on the ground as the roitelet was too tiny to support the tall heavy body, whose armor weighed probably like a half of the roitelet himself. He froze, his mind going clear again, the bloodlust hiding into the darkest and deepest corner again.  
He saw his other self from that world, clinging to Howard.  
He saw the fear in the eyes of the ordinary citizens of the Valley that witnessed the scene.  
It was not normal.  
What he did was not normal.  
They wouldn't bat an eye if he'd electrocute the guard even before he comes closer, but that...it was scary.

The roitelet run through the crowd to the exit arch like a scythe through butter. They were letting him pass with no problem, nobody tried to stop him. When he run out, to the forest road, he just fell on the ground near a small river and was lying like that for a while, pieces of ground sticking to his blooded trench. The roitelet tried to think about what exactly happened and why, but plain animalistic fear was consuming him. It was not the first time the madness overcame and won his body. It is just the first time he didn't use the electricity to kill. What has he turned into. What.  
He's a monster.

 

\- There, there, it's okay, it's okay. - Rizel heard a familliar hoarse voice. - C'mon, man. We can do it. C'mon.  
The roitelet shook the rigor off and looked around. A giant wet mustelid was sitting by his side, trying to wash his face and trench.  
\- Ahhh, there we are. - Maria smiled to him, showing all her front teeth. - You weren't responding to my calls, and I got so worried. I though I've lost you. I don't want to lose you, you know?  
\- Mhm. - he nodded, looking at the reflection in the stream. A tall, protective mustelid and a small shaking roitelet with so much fear and sadness in his only eye that he had never seen before. He wanted to say a lot, to do something, to push her away and run, run, run deeper into the forest and hide there, never to be seen again.  
\- Maria... Let's just go home. Please. - he buried his face in the soft, yet still a little wet fur that smelled of blood and ferrets.  
\- Sure, but only after you calm down. - She tightened her grip.  
The roitelet just nodded silently.


	51. I just want to be helpful...

They were packing. Well, "they", since Rizel didn't have a lot of stuff to pack - all his belongings fit into a black fake leather sports bag with a PaxSport logo on its side. However, Maria's clothes were all around the room, even though she didn't wear more than 75% of them.  
He took the bag to the luggage pile in the corridor, and came back to the room, just to find Maria lying face down in the centre of the room.  
Before the roitelet could get scared, Maria sniffed.  
\- I don't want to go.  
Griffin, who suddenly appeared in the doorway, right behind him, lightly punched the roitelet to give way:  
\- Why? It was your favorite place for the last five years.  
Maria slowly transformed into a perunium and tried to hide under the bed, but got stuck, her fluffy butt with a bushy tail and two legs was still poking out.  
\- I don't know why, I just don't want to. It must be the human I'm linked to...She doesn't want to go.  
The arcanian slowly descended on the carpet beside her, gently stroking the tail and trying to talk her out of her hideout.  
When the roitelet tried to do the same, he was harshly pushed away. He looked into Griffin's eyes, noticing how cold they were. The other aliens were right, he is much more of a monster than he tried to look like. Knowing Maria's excellent hearing he didn't whisper, but the roitelet still understood what he was trying to say:  
"Go away. You don't know her as much as I do."  
Rizel still tried to at least touch the soft fur, but something pushed him away.  
Griffin was nearly growling, yet still trying to calm Maria down.  
The roitelet backed off, and slowly walked out of the room. He started feeling so foreign there again. Yes, the arcanian known the girl for five years, and the roitelet only for five months, even though she claims that she known him for longer...  
He shouldn't fight for it.  
But he still could try to be helpful at least to others... Rizel picked up his bag and a couple of other small and light ones. When he tried to get the fourth one, Yazz stopped him harshly:  
\- No.  
\- Why? - snapped the kinglet.  
\- You're too small and fragile. Three light ones is enough for you for now.  
\- But I want to be helpful! - roitelet stepped back and almost fell on the floor as the bags were swinging around him.  
The boglodite chuckled, looking at him:  
\- You will be, just in another situation. Okay? - he didn't mean anything bad, and the roitelet knew that Yazz was actually caring about his health, because even though he became a little less chubby and a little more muscular than his counterparts from the untouched worlds, his health still was quite fragile...But it still felt terrible.  
If he couldn't help Maria... and couldn't help at least loading the car... What can he help with, then?


	52. The score

The car was going smoothly, flying above the highway. Yes, the boglodites definitely did a good job at changing the engine of the white van with a small dickbutt drawn on the back. A few hours have already passed, and there was no conversations at all, everyone was just doing what they were doing for the last few hours, slowly starting to feel more and more bored. The Sun has already started to go down, turning everything around violet and purple, and the storm clouds around were adding up to it, making such an unnatural light that nobody would believe that this happens on planet Earth.  
They had a long way ahead of them, but most already were bored of it. They passed the limit of the radio waves already and so the radio in the car was silent.  
Silence fell, only sometimes someone was turning the page or swearing silently, when he or she was losing another round in a game on their comlogs.  
Finally the silence was broken with Maria's hoarse voice:  
\- Yo, pass the cord. I have an idea.  
Boris yawned and stretched in his front seat, making the cat on his lap wiggle and growl in his sleep:  
\- Sure. Just don't play shit.  
Maria plugged her phone in and clicked something on the screen:  
\- Before I begin...Let's play a game of sorts. For every track, there definitely is a memory from at least one of us, a memory that they can share.   
Everyone looked at her and nodded slowly.  
The girl clicked "play", and a very familliar track filled the van.  
\- Fire! Burns inside your eyes...

***

\- It was the very beginning of our adventure, as I'd call it... Most of you weren't there, of course.  
But Chub and Inverted must remember. Maria too. Marina, maybe. And of course, you.  
You were unconscious when I picked up up back then. I had to fight Richard to get to you, as he still tried to kill you, no matter what.   
We came there early, even before it all started. But since we didn't want to be seen before the needed moment, we hid behind some big rocks to watch it from the distance. Creature was extremely tensed, and I had to hold it tightly before it could be let out, because it would immideately just bolt into battle.  
To be honest...I didn't like these dimension-hoppings. I still don't really like them. I can understand us going Arcnet-hunting, it fuels the Creatures, but these...seriously, in 95% of them we gain nothing, and I was sure that this will happen in his one as well. To me it was just another pointless fight.  
But then, when it entered the fight finally, I suddenly realised a thing. In the first moment, there were four of you - Creature, Chorum, Richard and you. And then, there were only three. When I realised who's missing, I thought that Creature wouldn't be happy if its precious roitelet... Don't growl at me like that. If it's precious roitelet would go missing or get hurt. So I had to act. And I did.   
Of course, I was noticed almost immideately. Richard run towards me, all angry and edgy as fuck, but he wasn't dangerous for me. during the fight, we almost stepped on something soft, and when Richard's attention shifted to the small being below he joined Rizel on the sand. I quickly grabbed the kinglet and run out of the fighting zone.  
After a quick examination I realised that I can't leave you there. You will die. You probably were already dying, to be honest. I had to act quick and well... I did.  
The portal was already closing, so I had to open another one, to Maria's room. In a moment, Chorum's long body hit the ground, and even before the death-signalling ray could shine from it we both... all three of us were home.  
There the story gets different and I can't tell anything more, I was just a spectator from the moment I put you on the bed. It wasn't me who did most of the other job, I just, well, brought you home.

***

\- What's your name? - the roitelet asked me, looking me in the binoculars.  
\- Maria.  
\- It isn't you who I'm talking to.  
I wanted to laugh, seriously. They all were so sure I'm a new type of a roitelet, even though I looked nothing like one. But well, I knew what'd happen if I laughed, so I tried to keep as serious as I possibly could.  
\- Maria.  
They clearly didn't believe me, judging by the look on their faces. I just hoped that Wellington's main hall could host a being as big as I am going to be... And them as well, there were most of the ones that were named and still alive by the situation happening...  
Most of them howled almost in choir:  
\- Reveal yourself!   
And so, well, I did. The look on their faces was changing to fear as they have seen me growing fur and a tail and just, well, growing. It only stopped when I hit the ceiling, making the lamps around shake. I was sitting like a freaking Alice in the Wonderland, curled up, holding the other wall of the hall.  
And there it happened. Howard dashed forward, and shot me. That was his biggest mistake in the situation he was in, because the only thing I managed to do before turning into a living fire was pushing him away.  
And then, well, he saw everything that happened next. I nearly burned off half of thebuilding, trying to get out and not get them hurt or killed. Luckly the building was made with something that didn't catch on fire that easily, so I managed to slip out and get to the fountain, which helped me to calm down and get back into my usual form.  
They run out as well, just to see our back as we were going through the fence.

***

\- I fell asleep and immideately opened my eye in another dimension. It was feeling so...weird. Like that your dimension-hopping of sorts.  
The Creature was there, waiting for me. It looked like I was back to the Valley, but everything has changed colors so drastically. Colors and shapes.   
Everything was in purple tones, three different Moons lighting up the dark starry sky.  
If you remember how Siri first met Caricajou...Yes, that was pretty much it. Except for I was Siri and the Creature was Caricajou of sorts.  
For some time it just stared at me, its silhouette shining so brightly that it was painful to look at it, only the binoculars and the nose were able to be distinguished, since they were still black.  
For a few seconds I just stared back, doing nothing at all. The grass felt so soft, to be honest I didn't even want to stand up. And then it spoke.  
"This is your mindscape. If you go deeper, into the water and deeper, you will find your subconsciousness. Be wary of it. It isn't always good."  
I came closer to the dark waters, just to see my reflection there, not even the bottom. And there, after I made an eye contact with my reflection, it all started falling apart, twisting and swirling, until the world I was in completely disappeared, and I woke up staring at the top tier of the bed.  
It wasn't just a dream. I've been there, and deeper.

***

\- I will speak again, if you don't mind...  
It happened during one of many of our dimension-hoppings, or how do you call these. When she went wild again, after she saw me in trouble. I think it was the first time I've seen her turning into an absolutely uncontrollable wild animal. And a very powerful wild animal too, I must admit.  
What was worse was that the fighting ring at that moment was only the cave, because the entrance was blocked with some huge rocks, and only us two could possibly escape, since we could just slip out in electric sparks. She was crushing everything around, and already worn out Chorum enough to turn back into his human-like form. The portal was forgotten, or almost forgotten, since nobody could come closer anyway without a risk of being eaten alive. Before that I'd never even think that such a shy and caring teenager could transform into such a monster so quickly, and what's worse, I had no idea how to tame her. I knew there was a way, but I didn't know what way exactly. Her claws were leaving deep scratches on the rocks, let alone Chorum's armor, it was nearly falling apart, and she was too quick for him to hit her. Siri and Richard were hiding in the corner, he was trying to protect his small one, but I knew that one hit of these claws or the sword and they both would be dead. Howard was nowhere to be seen, probably he has already passed the rift or was dead somewhere under the rocks.   
I'd never think that this is what would happen after the separation of a human and a roitelet.   
Either way, I was stupid enough to get just a bit too close to them, and one sharp blow was enough to send me into the wall, and enough for everything that was in my pockets to fall out. Still feeling dizzy, I tried to pick my belongings up, before they'd be crushed. One thing caught my attention though... The arcnet that was given to me a while ago for some reason. Probably you know that a situation like this may happen...Thank you.  
But now there was another problem, as they were moving too fast for me to throw the thing at her, and I wasn't sure that it would work at all... The only way was to jump at her from above and make sure the pendant comes in touch with the skin.  
Yes, I did it. I climbed up, since I had no more energy to create a floating bubble. Yes, "no energy to create a floating bubble" doesn't mean that I had no energy to climb up. Sure, I agree, it was hard, but I managed it in the end. And there I realised that Maria is too big for me to just put the pendant on her neck, the thing is too small and the chain will probably just break off when I try that. I had to think quick, and...well...My belt was the only thing that would probably fit her as a collar.  
Just imagine the situation, I am in grave danger, trying to calm a vicious monster, by jumping on her back and putting the collar with the arcnet on.  
And the only thing I can think of is that my pants are too big and there's a high possibility they will fall off.  
Yeah.  
As you can see, I managed it in the end, and no, my pants didn't fall off... luckly.

***

\- I don't have any fancy story to tell on this one, and I'm sure that pretty much none of us has. I just wanted to share my memories on how nice it was when I was exploring Paxtown alone once. It was at the sunset, and last rays of the Sun were warming up my black coat. I walked by Crucifere's house and the place Winch was killed at, by the hospital and the dumpster, by the stadium and the OOL tower. It was feeling so nice and I'd even say...heartwarming. Just trotting forward and forward on all fours, not stopping anywhere. When I finally had to stop, I was at the seaside, just in time to see the last rays of sunset before it all went dark and blue. It's nice to be a Creature in times like these. I'm feral, yet powerful enough to get there, and sapient enough to enjoy it.

***

\- My story will be rather brief as well... You know why I'm not going there often? My first attempt at dimension-hopping to Paxtown wasn't that pleasant. I ended up in the dumpster or a sewer, walking through the empty corridors with rats running from me. I heard distant sounds of a battle, and I rushed there, the concrete crumbling under my feet. But by the time I've gotten there, it ended, and whatever being won it was long gone.  
I was pretty out of breath, and for a moment I was worried that what I see on the ground is one of you... Luckly it wasn't.   
He was struck right in the heart with a shiny spear. The first thing that disappeared was the sparkling weapon. Then the body started transforming slowly, turning into a small human-like one. The puddle of blood was growing under it.  
I waited until what once was Chorum the Devourer turned into human again. Then I heard footsteps and police sirens, and before they could see me, I left, walked back to the portal hole.  
Every time I want to go with you I remember that place. I don't know if they found her or no afterwards, they probably did, though.  
I know why did you do it, I know how. Just please don't force me to accompany you. I'm not a stone, afterall.

***

\- My turn again, I guess... It happened not so long ago, actually. We were going somewhere, I don't really remember if we were going home from a con or from home to a con, but it doesn't really matter.  
The song came on the radio, and for a split second I looked back. Remember, it was in this van, just less...packed.  
I saw how you all were falling asleep, just still doing what you were doing. Reading something, playing games, and so on.  
You two were sitting together, doing absolutely different things, but so close to each other. Creature was lying on your legs, making sure you all three are there and are safe. Even you seemed involved, even though I know how much do you hate...uh, the newest member of our family.  
Even though I looked at you just for a second or less, and you probably didn't even notice me...yes, except for you, fuzzbutt, you notice everything, I know... even though it was for a second, it made me realise one important thing.   
We all are family now. And there's no way to separate us.

***

\- We were running and hiding from them for quite a while,and in the end we managed to hide somewhere...I don't clearly remember where, but it had stone walls, like a temple of sorts. Yes, with lion heads and carved patterns on the walls.  
For some time you were just sitting on the floor, talking, eating lunch and drinking water, passing the bottle to one another. It looked so peaceful, like a family on a picnic. We just needed some buckets and a tablecloth to make it look like we're just tourists exploring old ruins. I floated away for some time, and there I could hear a growl from one of the corridors. You three immideately got up and left, preparing for a battle. I was so preoccupied with watching where did you three go, that I only started worrying when I saw an enormous shadow growing behind me.  
Where before were sitting two small figures, now was a growling gigantic mustelid, that was protecting someone small and fragile.   
For a second I felt how shivers run up and down my spine, before I realised that these teeth and claws won't be used against me.  
You swore to protect him, and now I know that he's in good hands. Nobody could touch the small one when you're around.

***

\- I'm talkactive today... But back then I really felt like it's the end.   
We were the only two left there, standing on the edge. I had nothing else to do than to cling to you. We didn't know where were everybody else, including the other me. By the fact that Chorum mostly focused on me I thought that he probably still managed to pass the rift and is safe. However, I wasn't.  
I didn't know that the being could bring us back. I didn't know that you are nearly immortal.  
I was absolutely sure that this is our last stand and in a few minutes we'd be gone. It's such a strange feeling. I wasn't scared, I just, well, accepted that soon I will be gone. Maybe I'd end up in Limbo again, and I would wander in the foreign place as an electric spirit. Maybe I'd become a part of Chorum's soul, and there'd be no way to come back again.  
However, you didn't seem scared or at least nervous, you were just looking at the black moster approaching us. Now I know that you've been in dozens of these situations, and not just in the desert after Nilipolis, and to be honest, that doesn't make you less brave in my eyes. I was sure that we couldn't win, even if we tried, but you gave me hope. Especcially your answer to my "Is this the end?".  
It was "While we are still alive and have all four limbs, nothing is the end."

***

\- It was my first time meeting Cicero. Godfuckingdamn, did he scare the fluff out of me.  
He appeared silently from behind, all floating and magnificent as fuck. I didn't really remember his colors though, what actually sucks echidna dick, but dudes, he was fucking awesome. All floaty and fluffy and eary and...yes, yes, I know, I know.

***

\- It happened when I tried to fight with Kenny Madison.... Yeah, the roitelet of dreams. I don't remember what exactly brought me there...  
Yes, I am talking mostly about my...uh...other me first. He tried to fight with Kenny and lost. I appeared on the scene right after it happened, but high voltage didn't kill the motherfucker, only angering him. In the end he got me as well, but luckly I was fast to realise what happened. How... You see, I was in the Valley once again a while back. I remembered that place and what it has turned to. Kenny didn't know that.   
What's worse...worse for him, of course, he put us both into the same setting - the "roitelet village" in the Valley. I got ou of mine by scratching a hole in the soft tissue of the reality of the dream around me, and it lead me to...ugh...the part of the dream of the other me. Of course Kenny couldn't leave it as that.  
He tried appearing within the dream, taking different forms, leading us into different settings.   
It was the first time I've actually realised how fragile I can be, seeing the other me so close and in similar conditions.  
And there was when the pure hell started, because Kenny got into my recent memories. We had to fight him nearly everywhere, even in a place that resembled your apartment. Oh, yes, sorry, our apartment. He tried taking the forms of some of you, since we are close...darn, I just realised how close we are if he tried to trick me by turning into you. Either way, he soon realised that appearing as you had no effect on the other me, since he just didn't know you. And so he took the form of Vivaldi.  
What he didn't think of was that at that time the setting was your lair from forty years ago.   
Yes, we killed him. What I didn't know would happen was that the whole dream world he created, with his death it sarted falling apart. We'd be sucked into that deep dark vortex, but another demon saved us. Thanks to his glow I found the way out, a way to wake up. I dragged that other me out as well.  
When he woke up, Kenny was lying on the floor, in the pool of his own blood. Needless to say we hurried out.  
I hope none of the other...other roitelets from the other worlds had to feel that.

***

\- My turn again, I guess... Do you remember our first adventure together? We were going back to the portal in the van we...ugh...borrowed.  
I heard that you all fell silent, and so I looked back to check if you all were okay.   
You three were sleeping together, even though the arcanian butt still tried to distance from you. It was so peaceful. So sweet.  
But it made me realise than now I'm responsible for you all. I guess that's called growing up and maturing... It was a strange feeling. I've never felt like I'd be responsible for someone bigger than a dog. And yet there I was, driving you all three to safety. You don't remember that trip, you fell asleep right as we've got in.  
However, I do. And it still fills me with these mixed feelings...

***

\- Remember that moment when...oh yes, you don't, you probably weren't there at that time... That was the other roitelet whose butt he grabbed mistaking him for a girl....WHAT.  
Well, so, I was protecting Harry Zenkova, just because in that world with my interference Richard didn't need the six thousands of Paxtown dollars to pay his debt.   
It was all as usual, untill I heard his mummified screeches as a yakuza grabbed him and dragged him out. Why yes, I like Kaiser and his art. Being an artist myself I find it very interesting. Either way, I run out, and there I found that the yakuza was...not quite the yakuza.  
IT WAS YOU MOTHERFLOOFING BLACK SHIT  
\- Well, at least I looked magnificent in that japaneese suit, unlike you in these clothes that looked like Richard just got beaten again in them after being caught fucking Tomie in the elevator. And you should have seen your face back then, mmmm, I could never forget that expression. Pure shock and surprise. And remember Zenkova's shock when he realised that we know each other...  
\- We...uh...kinda...ate him in the end. What else we had to do? We couldn't just let him go after that.

***

\- My turn again. It happened during one of my solo dimension hoppings. Yeah, I do that far more often than you can imagine. And this time I also got my minions there...Yeah, just like the Order of the Lion, just Order of the Holy Fluffbutt, of sorts...No, of course I didn't name it so. Order of the Perunium, in case you're wondering. Either way. I tried making it look like that second episode...And oohh boy, did I succeed.  
Nah, I didn't really torture you, I'm not the one who enjoys it, not like my hu...okay, nevermind.  
Just, after turning all the electricity there off, I had to rest as well, even though it didn't drain me as it drained you. I've been rewatching the episode for long enough to know how to act.  
As I slid into the cosy armchair, and one of the minions, I don't really remember his name though, probably Steven, but not that Steven, tried to attach the glowing drop counter to my vein, but he was so slow...I kinda understand him though, look at these double-furred arms. After he did it, I slid even deeper into the armchair.  
"Bring me the Rizel".  
As in the episode, they immideately disappeared into the corridors, and soon they fetched that other roitelet to me.  
Almost like Siri back then, he screeched at me - "WHO ARE YOU?!"  
My answer was the same as yours, pretty much. Just instead of "Name yourself" I said... "What are you?"  
Instead of answering, he growled at me - "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE OTHERS?".  
I said "Answer me first. What are you?" And there the most interesting part started, but I'm not quite sure you want to hear it...uh...it kinda... okay-okay, I got it.

***

\- Okay, okay, we got it, you ate Harry and run away from that world because...because you ate Harry. But why did you have to...Okay-okay, the next story.  
Remember how you made the FFFC commercial? I almost choked on my cereal when I saw you dancing under that music. I thought you were animated, but nobody could animate you that realistic. Still, what even did you think about?  
Because holy fuck, a white immortal anthro butthole promotes the championship it could win with a click of its long claws?   
Yeah, they saw it too, just look at these faces. We were watching TV in Dave's lair back then. Yeah, and as usual, your ad gave them the hint to the code afterwards.

***

\- It was my first time entering your garage. Hell, I didn't even know you had one. Surprisingly it wasn't as dark and grimy as I've imagined it.  
I think Yazz asked me to get you two some food as you were working there still and probably would be late for dinner anyway. When I was opening the door I didn't expect such a contrast with a grimy outside, where it was going to rain and I already herad the thunder.   
The Creature was sleeping in its radioactive barrel, only the end of the tail and the head sticking out. Somewhere in the depth of the shiny place this track was playing, so now it reminds me of that place. You were working on this van, it was standing on the stilts and you were fixing something below. First I didn't quite get where that bright light was coming from, but then I've noticed the glowing panels. You have a lot of shelves there too, and I swear I could spend days exploring them, if you allow me, of course. I saw some mechanisms that totally mesmerised me, enough to almost forget to give you the containers with the dinner.  
What also suprised me was how strong you actually are. Back then I thought that your only abilities were the full form and your symbionts...Either way, now I can see that this garage is your territory, and it looks bigger on the inside. It is bigger from the inside, just like this van, right?

***

\- It happened at a con we were once... We all thought that nothing can surprise us anymore, after your drift in the shopping cart at night and the day...the evening you just freaking stole 150 rolls of pink toilet paper from thehotel basement and played with them all night, covering the parking lot in a moving and rustling carpet of pink soft napkins.  
But that... It was the day Tomie agreed to sing for us all again.  
Something big trotted through the doorway behind her. It passed by, then quickly stopped and walked backwards. And we all suddenly realised that it was no one else, but Chub itself, just with a ceramic soup pot on its head.  
We were just, well, stunned. Tomie, however, didn't notice anything, and kept singing.  
The fluffy asshat silently creeped inside and bumped into one of the speakers. Tomie didn't notice anything, she was singing with her eyes closed just like she always does, while behind her two long thin arms were touching the biggest speaker, measuring it.  
And right on the words "Un mauvais coup..." the being swayed back as hard as it could... and on the loud "QUI DEGAGE DE MA VIE!" the soup pot hit the speaker, breaking in half. Luckly for itself, the being that sits here grinning at the moment quickly grabbed the two halves and silently disappeared in the doorway.  
Tomie still didn't notice anything.  
You two looked like you were dipped in cold salt water. I've noticed how your counterparts from the other worlds nodded symathetically, in the "I know that feel, bro" type of manner. Tomie would keep singing as she was, but Harry Zenkova ruined it completely by laughing so loudly that everyone else started to try to shut him up, but there Jay joined in laughing. To be honest, I wouldn't laugh, but when she turned to us, frowning, she reminded me of an angry chihuahua and I just couldn't contain myself anymore. So she jumped off the stage and run away, and right in the same doorway she bumped into the Creature. Only a circular mark on the fur was telling that the being was stuck in a soup pot a few minutes ago. Seriously, dude, you were the main star that day. 

***

\- It was in one of the worlds where I had to act alone for some time... We were early, and I decided to check Dave's club.   
He saw me before I realised that, but I couldn't use my electricity for fighting him at all. So, yeah, I had to fight him just as I was, with my bare hands.  
I thought I was going pretty good, since I was faster than him, but then he attacked from the right and threw me into the wall.  
Yeah, "ouch" indeed. But don't worry, I didn't get hurt that much, and soon I was back on my two feet again. He was about to phone someone, and it was the only moment I've used electricity to fight - with a small lightining I hit the phone so it fell down, making Dave look back at me.  
I had very little energy left, and I used it all to bring him down, but what I didn't expect was an attack of Richard from behind. So yeah...my triumph was quite short.  
No, he didn't hurt me that much, since my other self from that world appeared oin the scene at that moment... I guess that was the only thing that saved me.  
Okay-okay, I promise...

***

\- It was one of the times you've allowed me to fight instead of Richard...remember? Just, sorry, I know the track is long, but I'm not great at describing fights...I'm much better at the fights themselves, as you could see. As you remember, I tried not to fight him as I fight Chorum, for example, but rather played with him like a cat with a mouse. First I was attacking him fast and then also backing off and dodging his uppercuts, but then it all started to slow down, and then I took an upper position and kinda, well, kinda won the cup.  
I'm still amazed that nobody, fucking nobody bat an eye that a sixteen year old boglodite fought instead of Richard and frigging won the freaking cup.

***

\- Oh, yes. I guess that's because of the Creatures. Either way, you did great. The cup was ours. And your musteline victory dance was the best, I swear. I still have the photos and the video. First I was unsure that going to these dimensions was a good idea, but then I saw how happy you were when you danced around with the cup and I've understood everything. We will keep going there, I think. Since it makes you such a bouncy mustelid.

***

\- It may sound sad... This track reminds me of how I came back to my "home" for the first time after you took me in. Nothing in the world has changed at all, at least not in my headquarters. Yet it still looked so cold and foreign. The guards welcomed me in, as I've still was, and I still am their Master. It was partly cloudy, and so the light in the main hall was pretty uneven, adding up to the feeling that something is deeply wrong. That first time I wanted to just pick up some things so I didn't stay there long, and immideately passed through the hall everyone knows by now, to my bedroom. It was such a sorry sight. The dust was wiped every day, of course, but it still looked uninhabited. As it was for these days... weeks, even. The bed was absolutely cold, and when I tried to sit on it it nearly burnt me, like dry ice. So I was just standing in the middle of the room, holding the few of my belongings I needed to get back, and there I saw how the portal back was opening. It was so...mesmerizing. How often do you see how a portal opens? Especcially when it's warm on the other side? It starts like a blossoming rosebud, and then it opens fully, filling the room with warm light, making it seem more homely. Thank you for showing this to me.

***

\- It happened long ago, even before we...ugh, met. We were watching the end of the series together, at night, at 3 AM because it was the time they got uploaded to Youtube. Remember it, fluffy butt? We had to watch it quickly, because it was a working day and we needed to wake up early. And there I saw your death in the series... I knew, with life that and a storyline like that it's hard to stay alive or at least had a good ending... But still, it made me realise that it's the end. I've known you since my friend shown me a drawing of you and the trailer, and it felt like losing a loving one. And then the episode ended and I nearly cried, enough for the Creature to cuddle me all night long. If only I known that soon we'd meet again... But at the same time, if you had a good ending there, maybe we'd never have met, right? There'd be no need for them to fight to save you. And you'd remained behind the screen. Sorry, I uh...I'm getting all emotional again... Can uyou pass the napkins, please?

***

\- It was one of the first times of meeting Tikki. I was walking...I'd even say, I was running down the streets of Paxtown suburbs, because I felt something was coming. It was evening, and some streets were getting already dark and gloomy. The first thing I saw was Winch, who was trying to hunt someone, maybe even the poor Crucifere. And then I've noticed Tikki, who was hiding behind the bushes and behind and under cars around. Even though she's the roitelet of awkwardness, this time she was far from being awkward... More of a merciless hunter, I'd say. She was already very close to Winch, enough to get him in a few jumps, and since he wasn't looking she'd probably success and slaughter him in the first bite, and I even considered interfering before she does anything far from her usual self, but a veeeeery familliar van drove by and turned to the street we all three were at. You saw me, signaled, and successfully spoiled the hunt for both of them, but if Winch just turned to you and then run away, Tikki jumped up, revealing herself, then landed into rose bushes, screamed like a crazy dog, bolted up again, hit a car, which siren went off and then zigzagged away, almost hitting Winch either way. Now that was my good ol' Tikki.

***

\- It reminds me of the first time I've seen Maria opening a portal. Since she succeccfully slaughtered Chorum even before he could open the portal to the Valley, she decided to do it herself. I've seen her opening them here and there after that, and I must admit that she used quite a bit of extra effects while doing it for us the first time. Yeah, I know now, you wanted to make it as impressive as it was in the series. To be honest, you've succeeded in that, we all were quite impressed. Back then I haven't visited the Valley to find what it has turned to, so the sight on the sunrise there which I saw through the portal made me quite homesick again... But I knew that this is not exactly my Valley, and I've got to stick with you until I can go to mine. 

***

\- Remember us visiting the Paxmall center again? While you were busy winning toys from the machines around, I was just walking around with all you've won. You were much faster than me, and soon, even before I walked past the arcade, you gave me so many plushies and other toys that I didn't know how to hold them all and all my pockets were already stuffed. I felt someone looking at me through a whole square hole. I turned to look there. Richard. And he definitely recognized me, judging by the shocked look on his face. at that moment you bounced closer to me again, just to give me the gigantic koala plush before going back in again. For a few more seconds we just stared at each other, Richad still standing far away, and me holding a giant grey plushie. Then Tomie and Siri called him and so Richard had to look away. I wonder what he thought at that moment... Since we were not in my dimension, I think. Hope I didn't damage the reputation of that other Rizel that much.

***

\- We were sitting in one of these small cafes that are scattered all around the city centre. It was deep evening, almost night, and we didn't know where else to go. I was sitting down there, on the floor, looking around and you were feeding me strawberry cakes and French fries. After the second cake that song came on the radio and I realised that I've seen that place before... Do you remember the third episode? We were sitting right there.   
Munching on another cake I looked through the big windows, and saw them. He was watching us with such jealousy in his deep blue eye, that his own style didn't seem perfect to him, probably. I looked back at you. You two seemed so peaceful at that moment. Thoughtful. You were like a family. Well, now you are, but I feel like that night in the cafe was the first step of establishing that. No wonder he looked jealous. Poor thing had no family like that of his own, and he just wanted to belong like you do. I looked back at you again, not saying anything, though you probably interpreted my look in the wrong way because instead of looking there you fed me again. Well, that was okay as well, but when I looked back at where his van was already gone. I hope he didn't feel that bad or sad when he came home... And there was the moment when you started singing along. Your hoarse voice was adding something deeper to the quiet radio. It felt so good and cosy.

***

\- We were in another Paxmall center, I just won yet another koala and I didn't know what to do with it, since I already had one. So I gave it to you and went on to try again to win the lion I wanted, and when I was coming back I saw...ugh, the other you. I still can't figure out what was that other Rizel doing in there at that time, but I guess it was something important. I didn't see you to signal that he was around so you'd be careful, until the very last moment when you bumped into them with your koala. Damn, you should have seen your faces back then, I could clearly read "FUCK" in your eye. I tried making some weird gestures to attract your attention, but I'm not sure you saw them... Oh, so that's what it was. Either way, I'm glad you got rid of that giant plush that way, I'm sure he liked it. And that also gave you told to get away, so tactically it was good as well, right?

***

\- I'm not sure you guys remember this moment, since I was pretty much alone at that time... In one of my nearly solo walks I run into Winch on my way to the portal home. The portal was open, but it seemed that the scythe-handed butt was also interested in it. So, yes, I fought him off. Was fun. Nah, I didn't really have killing him as my main objective, just scaring off was enough, what I actually did in the end. I was just having fun, when he was seriously scared and in the end run away with his usual "clop-clop-clop" sound. I wonder if he told anyone later... "A big black long being just nearly slapped my butt." something along these lines.

***

\- We were looking for you around the whole Paxtown, even visited Alvarius in case you'd be interested in hunting down some zombies of hers. I was the first who thought about where you can be, after someone mentioned the nest under one of the rings in Dave's club. Since the best was made out of porn magazines you stole from Harry Zenkova, I thought that we haven't checked his club yet... And right as we all four...sorry, five, were on his doorstep, there you were, drinking liters of alcohol and playing poker with Prezik, who was also drunk to the point he didn't mind a giant talking animal nor two boglodites, two roitelets and an arcanian who came to pick that fluffy shit up. If you remember, we couldn't get you out, until the last cider bottle was emptied and last margarita drunk. 

***

\- Let's finish it with something nice, shall we? I was entering that world for the first time. Slowly moving through that dimension like a hot knife through a brick of butter, seeing everything and hearing everything I felt one important thing. Here I was in control. I couldn't feel your presense there at all, and I was the key part. I wonder if you still come there, my non-inverted counterpart. It would be sad if you'd lose the key world to the other you, wouldn't it?

***

For some time it was silent in the car again, everyone just listening to the last track, nothing coming to mind. It already got dark and that light outside turned blue, only the light in the car was still warm.   
Everyone just thought about something of their own, not really minding the silence after the music ended. The Creatures were lounging on the floor, judging by their expressions changing sometimes they were talking telepathically, probably even arguing. Most of the ones who didn't speak, but just watched the show were also feeling all thoughtful, so they turned to the windows or were just staring at the next seat. Griffin noticed how Maria snuggled closer to the roitelet and that made him even grumpier than before, after Yazz nearly forgot to mention him in his story. Boris seemed to be falling asleep again, the cat softly purring on his lap. The lights were dimming until they finally turned off, there was nothing to shine for anymore.  
Finally Yazz turned from the wheel again for a second:  
\- The middle-marking stop will be in less than 500 km, anyone needs anything?


	53. ...Oh, hot funny summer days

\- What do you do there? - the roitelet asked carefully, stepping inside of the big counntryhouse.  
\- Well, we go outside, swim in the pool or in the river, pick berries and apples, make barbeque, and so on. - The arcanian shrugged.   
...after that they spent the whole first day inside, because it was raining so heavily some tree branches broke. Well, only Boris and Yazz went out to fix the shower cabin, that was damaged by the storm a few weeks ago. 

The second day they tried going out, but it still was terribly cold and windy. To show Rizel who's the boss there Griffin climbed an apple tree and couldn't get down, so he had to wait there until Rizel came back with a ladder to get him down.  
The third day they went out, picked some berries in the forest, but it started raining so terrible that they had to run home. The grass was so slippery and wet that they were falling after every few steps, and came home all green and dirty.  
\- How nice... - muttered the roitelet, trying to wash off the traces of grass from his trench.  
To add up, the light storm they were caught by damaged the internet cable, Yazz suspected that a tree must have fallen at the internet station that was located in he forest nearby. He tried to make it work using another station, but it didn't respond either.  
Maria's "I want to go home" howls were getting louder, longer, and more touching.


	54. Sleepyhead

He entered the room slowly. It looked absolutely empty, cold and even rather...uninhabited. Light ocean blue walls and a high ceiling made him think about the days he spent in the hospitals of Paxtown. The roitelet shivered, closing the door behind himself.  
The air was cold as ice, and even closing the window didn't help much.   
He still had his trench on, but cold shivers still were running up and down his spine, making him highly uncomfortable. The bed was just as cold, squeaky clean bedsheets burning his skin.  
What was worse, this cold hell was probably left as it was since 2014 or earlier, after the house hosted over forty people at once. Of course, Yazz wiped all the dust off, but that didn't help much. It was all cold, empty and dead.  
Everyone else was probably already asleep, because the roitelet heard nothing. He sighed deeply, looking around the room. An empty wardrobe. An empty drawer. A bed. Not even a table.  
The kinglet was so excausted that he barely moved. For a while he was just sitting on the bed, staring at nothing, his eye slowly losing focus.  
It'd be the girst time he'd have to sleep alone in such a long time. He didn't realise how much he misses Maria's rustling and "goodnight" whispering.   
Finally the cold started to be unbearable. It was definitely a good time to get to sleep finally, because since they've arrived at 2:36 AM the sky was already turning greenish-blue. The main problem was the need to undress to change into a kigurumi, because nothing else could protect him from the cold.   
The roitelet sighed again.  
Fuck. He's a time- and dimension- travelling roitelet, a monster, a demon, who killed and tortured countless people from nearly a hundred different dimensions and variations. And he is afraid of some cold? Naaaah...  
Though he changed his mind when in a few minuted he stood nearly naked on a small carpet by the bed. Even the carpet was so cold that he felt like he stands on ice, and the only sound he could hear was the chattering of his teeth. It was like diving into a cold stream at the North pole. The roitelet tried to mutter something like "fucking summer", but because he was shaking so wildly he couldn't utter a sound. But finally he was dressed, even found two fuzzy socks...they were mismatched, but at that time the roitelet just didn't give a shit about anything anymore.  
He just wanted to sleep.  
First he curled up in his bed, hoping that soon he could warm it with his body heat, but nothing happened at all.  
Finally the excaustion was taking him to the point when he just didn't care anymore, he just wanted to sleep...  
And he couldn't.  
It wasn't just the cold. It was the lack of the presence of the others. It felt like everything around just died, leaving him the only being in the entire universe. The last man, of sorts. He heard nothing, but his own breath and heartbeat. And sometimes the teeth chattering too.  
The roitelet tried changing poses, but it didn't help. Neither did counting sheep, counting his minions, counting the universes he's been in, trying to remember his life in the Valley ("It was worse than that"), trying to make a bedtime story. In the end, when the first rays of the Sun touched his closed eye, he realised that he has to find Maria. At least see her. She will definitely know how to fix that.  
The roitelet slowly got out of the bed, feeling all cold and sad again. No, no, please, no.   
He didn't find his slippers, and just slowly sneaked out of the room. At there was a very unpleasant suprise... None of the inhabitants had a sign on their room. They jsut didn't need it. So the kinglet was facing a whole row of absolutely identical doors, and when he looked back, he saw that his own door was just also one of many.   
To mark it somehow, he put one of his shoes in the doorway, preventing the door from closing.  
Another problem was that he didn't know where did Maria go. But well, he had to try anyway...  
The kinglet slowly opened the first door.  
The fisrt thing he saw was a tail poking from under the covers. Coming closer, he realised that it wasn't Maria at all...  
Caneena snarled in her sleep, making him back off so quickly that he almost fell over.  
The next door.  
Another tail.  
That also wasn't Maria, but Marina, who slept in her full husky form, sometimes yawning or shaking a paw in her sleep. The roitelet sighed.  
This way he will be stuck here until the very morning.   
He already heard the roosters screaming, and the corridor was filled with greenish light from the sunrise.  
He tried a few other doors, but there was no Maria nor at least the Creatures. Some of the rooms were empty.  
In the end he realised that he was just looking at his own room again, wondering who the hell lives there. It was time to sleep, his body was already shutting down, the human part already asleep, probably.  
The roitelet tumbled on the bed and immideately turned off.

\- Wake up, sleepyhead! - Maria smiled from the door.  
\- Uh? - Rizel slowly opened his only eye. It took him a while to piece everything together and sit up.  
\- It's 10:35 AM, Yazz wonders why you still didn't come down for breakfast. Do you need any help? - she was smiling so wide that she was showing all her teeth at once.  
The roitelet shivered.  
\- No-no, I will be down soon. No need to worry. Uh...

 

The day passed rather quickly, since they couldn't go out at all. It was raining so heavily that everything was falling down, and even the chickens didn't want to get out of their coop. He spent most of the time with Maria, just checking the web for any new art of him or at least any news. There was none.  
In the end, he resorted to just watching Maria drawing, lying on the floor in her room. The carpet there was soft and fuzzy, a brilliant place to fall asleep...what he did even before Maria could finish the drawing she owed for a while.  
\- Awww.... - the perunium smiled softly, putting down the watercolor of the dragon she was doing for a friend.  
The door softly creaked as the perunium was sneaking out. The roitelet in her arms slept soundly, sometimes snoring silently or twitching in his sleep.  
A big black nose sniffed the air.  
Hmmm, yes. That's his room.  
She decided not to undrress the poor thing, and just left him on the bed, under a few covers.   
Before he could wake up, the big being was out of the room.


	55. Grey bridge

The weather has finally became more or less stable, and they finally could spend more time outside. But as a few trees in the garden have died, it looked really sad and empty, so when the Sun was finally shining again Maria asked Yazz if she could go for a walk through the forest, "to the Grey Bridge".   
Technically Yazz wasn't against it, but he didn't want her to go alone, knowing how it may end up.   
\- Why don't you take someone like the Creature so you'd go there together? - he asked the teen, not even turning from his dishes and cooking.  
Maria liked that idea.   
...Nobody else did.  
The Creatures were busy trying to get inside of the chicken coop - the neighbour said that they were stealing her eggs, and because the beings needed some risk and crime in their lives Boris closed the chicken coop and made a sign "no creatures allowed". Now the two beings were busy trying to get through to feed on some eggs... That they already owned. Maria's appearance on the scene jsut spoiled the exterience, and so they hissed at her until she left.  
The bugs were sleeping on the back porch, and she couldn't wake them up.  
Spikes and the fossa poltergeist were trying to clean the swimming pool, and said that they'd go, but only after finishing. Maria looked at the white tiles that were now brown from the dirt and a few sad leaves floating there from the last summer and sighed:  
\- But the weather isn't for swimming!  
Fur-ler looked up from his scrubbing:  
\- Why yes, but it will change in a few days and so we could swim. Plus, some of us don't care about the weather, right? - he winked, but Maria only found that extremely annoying and left.  
Boris and the other animals were sleeping in the main hall, and knowing how tired he is she didn't even try to wake him up.  
Nobody else was seen, they probably went to Granny Katie as they've called her - she was one of their neighbours, a very old, but still a very cheerful woman, who loved talking to the aliens and demons about anything. Unlike most of other villagers she was very open-minded, and was open to any new ideas. So every time they were going to visit her, that meant that they will come only when the night comes.  
The door creaked, making Maria turn sharply.  
Yes, how could she forget?  
RIZEL.

 

\- This is the last time I'm going with you for such a walk. - he muttered, trying to get through the raspberry bushes. Maria was over twenty metres ahead, and even if she heard it she didn't respond.  
They were walking and walking, getting deeper into the forest. Sure, there were some pathes, but they were so small that Maria was losing them often and decided to just go through the forest and the bushes, since she knew the way like her own five....like her own four fingers.  
The perunium was used to be covering up to a hundred miles a day...the roitelet, however, wasn't. Nor was he used to walk through the forests, full of bushes and fallen trees and nettles and other shitty plants. This all was reminded him about his adentures in the Valley, making him shiver. The kinglet just hoped that it would end soon.  
\- We've been walking like that for like, half an hour. Can we stop, please? - he was almost falling down, feeling how the energy was slowly leaving him.  
Maria seemed surprised, but agreed. For a few minutes he was just standing there, leaning on a tree and trying to get his breath back to normal, while Maria was running around in circles, trying to play-hunt some leaves.  
\- Are you feeling okay? - she poked her big head through the bushes. - Let's go, or we won't make it til' the darkness falls!  
Rizel just sighed. He was still tired, but he didn't want to stay in that forest until the very night, knowing what awakes when it gets dark.  
\- Yeah, let's go.

Some more minutes of walking through the bushes and scratching the itching bites of some angry moths, and right when he was about to lose his last hope they saw the silhouette of a bridge shining through the trees. Both beings dashed there, forgetting about the bites and tiredness.  
The bridge was really well made, and it sure was used very often. The railings were freshly colored, no more than a year ago, and the cold stream running under it was only adding up to the beauty of the construction.  
The roitelet smiled.  
\- So, we've reached the bridge. Le's take some pictures, if you'd like, and then head back home.  
Maria's smile disappeared, and she got as serious as ever.  
\- What color is this bridge? - she ridged her plate of whiskers, poking to the railings.  
The roitelet looked at them and gulped.  
\- B-b-b-blue.  
\- And what color do we need? - the perunium made a face that'd be seriously hard to properly describe. Have you ever seen a cat saying "You don't say?"?  
\- G-g-g-grey... - poor roitelet has never looked so sad.  
\- Brilliant. - Maria calmed down. - In a few minutes we'd reach the red bridge, and then we'd get to the grey bridge. - she was drawing something on the ground. - Look, here we are now, here is the red bridge and here's the grey bridge. There is also the ground bridge of sorts, we can pass it when we will be coming back. It's not that far away, I swear.   
Rizel looked at the sketchy map. According to it they passed just a third part of the way...and that's just their way THERE.  
\- Uh-huh...

The red bridge really was closer than he thought. They made another break, Maria caught a fish and ate it whole. Rizel shivered. With her coat all wet and dirty, she looked like a freaking Chorum.  
Though with that appetite she totally could compete with the Great Devourer...  
\- Um... Maria? - he leaned forward, looking down at how she was jumping around in the sparkling waters.   
The being looked up:  
\- Si?  
\- Can we split now, maybe? I mean... I'm kinda tired and stuff like that, I'd go home and you'd continue your way...  
The perunium stopped jumping and splooshing the water around and looked him in the eye:  
\- Dude. Do you really think I would let you go back alone? In the end, I could carry you when you get too tired.  
The roitelet dropped his head, out of despair sending a light electric wave through the railing, making the old red paint fall off in some parts.  
\- HEY. - Maria shook the paint crumbs out of her mane, sending water drops all around. One more shock like that in these conditions and the forest would be burnt off in at least twenty miles radius. He might be tired, but walking still seemed like a better option comparing to riding a gigantic wet teenage mustelid, whose fur was sticking in all possible directions after getting out of the water and shaking it off like a dog.

He was walking slowly, often slipping and nearly falling on the ground. The forest started getting darker and darker, the dusk was already creeping into the most gloomy corners of the bush. Finally they reached the third bridge. It was even older than the previous one, the coloring was falling off completely and it all looked... unreliable to say the least. When the roitelet stepped on the old wooden panels, they creaked under his weight, some dust and shavings falling into the stream like a little raincloud. He turned back to the perunium, who was watching him from the distance...  
And then made a few quick steps forward and fell on the grass with a loud "AHHHH FINALLY!"  
Maria hurried to him, looking all worried. Rizel opened his only eye and stared at her.  
\- What's the matter? I'm okay, as you can see.  
\- You know... You know that there are ticks in the grass, right?  
The roitelet's eye widened and he bolted up in an electric spark. Maria run around, but stopped somewhere behind him, poked at his trench and howled:  
\- I SEE ONE!  
The roitelet's reaction was similar. He started wiggling and trying to look at his back, screeching something like "OH FUCK GET IT OFF GET IT OFFFFFFFFFFF". In the end Maria just grabbed him harshly, leaving wet traces on the light brown cloth, and took the bug off, throwing him away.  
\- Pffsh, done.  
Luckly, when the kinglet slipped away he didn't hear her silent whisper "...that's worse than a tick."

\- Let's do it like that... I will quickly go to the ground bridge and see if it's okay, and if it is I will come back to pick you up. You will probably see me through the forest, it is really close to this one. - Maria was bathing in the stream below, sometimes sneezing from the dust that was falling from above when the roitelet moved.   
He nodded grumpily. Yeah, sure, why the fuck not. he's too tired to walk properly anyway.  
Maria smiled to him, and bounced further into the bushes, leaving the tiny grumpy being on the bridge.  
The first thing that happened afterwards was that to Maria's great surprise the ground bridge was nearly destroyed by rains. The small stream turned into a big full river and just freakish washed the ground away. When she still tried to cross the stream, she stepped on one of the piles of ground and rocks that were left from the pathway, and it slid down into the cold water. The perunium howled, bolting out, slipping on the wet dirt.  
That howl reached the roitelet, who was standing on the bridge still, deep in thought, making him wince out of the sleepyness, breaking a part of the rusty railing off.  
Wooden panels under his shoes creaked like they will break now as well. He was so thoughtful that he didn't notice where did Maria go exactly, and so the kinglet was running around, draining himself of the small about of energy he managed to save.   
"Ditch that girl, Rizel. She only brings you trouble."  
\- SHUT UP, CHARLES! - he growled, hitting the railing with all his force. That was his biggest mistake that day, because in a second he heard the panels creaking and found himself hanging on the edge of what less than a minute ago was the grey bridge.  
\- MARIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

\- That's really nice that you managed to get home so early. - Yazz smiled to them, looking out of the kitchen. - Dinner will be ready soon.  
Maria smiled back, licking her thin boglodite lips. Oooh boy, that walk sure made her hungry.  
Yazz looked at Rizel, who was sitting on the stairs down into the main hall and trying to get the sand out of his shoes. The box they used as sort of a portable trash bin was already nearly full, and there seemed to still be more sand and ground.  
The roitelet turned his head to him sharply, and hissed out a stream of such swearwords that even the Creatures would be impressed (by that time they have successfully stolen some eggs from the chicken coop and were lying in the last rays of the Sun planning an attack on the cold part of the basement for some tasty treasures that were hidden there.). Maria nodded to him:  
\- I know, I understand, I should have warned you about that before we even started...  
The roitelet just muttered some profanities and closed the bathroom door so sharply that the photo that was hanging on the wall by the door fell down.  
\- Don't feel so sad, he'd get softier after the shower. - Yazz chuckled. - By the way, if you'd like you could help me with making the salads. I will let you lick the tomato juice off the table if you'd like.  
Of course, even though she felt quite sad, Maria couldn't pass that offer and immideately hurried to the kitchen.  
Soon only the sounds of the shower, cutting board and animal snoring were heard.


	56. Who do you like?

\- Maria... I've been thinking... - the roitelet slowly wandered closer to the girl, who was happily sitting on the floor and watercoloring something.  
\- Yes? - she looked up, and he could see his reflection in her binoculars. Man, what a scary being he actually was...  
\- Do you like me...like...really me, or do you like Charles? - he asked carefully, looking down at the floor again.   
The girl didn't seem moved or at least slightly fazed by the question.  
\- Who is Charles again? - she was back to the drawing. The lines were coming out shaky, as if she was worrying, but she tried to make it look like she wanted them to be so wavy.  
\- My..uh...my host. - the roitelet gulped, still shivering a little. Damn. He has to keep that shaking under control. Is he a magnificent demon of electricity or a mere filthy human?!  
\- Of course I like you as, well, you. - Maria made a vague gesture towards the window, which was too fast and so some drops of deep purple watercolor stained the floor and the window. - But it seems that liking you means liking Charles as well, am I right?  
\- Nah, we're actually very different...Only the appearance is the same...kinda... - the roitelet backed off. - I think I'll..I'll go now. - he silently closed the door after himsef, still noticing how Maria sighed deeply and painted a proper straight line. She didn't want to show it too.

***

He was sitting on the bridge, his shoes hanging in a little less than a meter from the cold sparkling stream. He was allowed to go there after he learned the route well enough... The roitelet was looking down, and didn't really notice a big animal approaching him from the right, blind, side.  
\- Are you afraid of me now? - the being dropped its ears, looking all thin and sad.  
\- I'm not... But Charles is. - the roitelet turned and looked at the Creature.  
\- Charles? - the face it made was probably an equivalent of rising an eyebrow.  
\- The host. He says you're a monster. You're all monsters. - the roitelet was shaking, almost sliding down into the river below. - And I'm a monster...t-t-too.  
The being looked down, at its shaky reflection in the water:  
\- Well, a monster among other monstaers... you found your place. 

\- He doesn't have to be afraid of us. We won't hurt him. ...Hope Charles can hear that.  
\- He can. Thank you.


	57. Destination FUCKED

They all were home when a thunderstorm started. It was a magnificent thunderstorm, like none they've seen before.  
Rizel came closer to the glass wall to the backyard porch, to marvel at the lightnings.  
SHWOOOOM!  
Almost immideately a lightning sktroke right in the cabbage bed, making the heads and pieces of cabbage fly out of it.  
Rizel immideately disappeared from the window, but came back in like...a minute.   
In another minute yet another lightning strikes the carrot bed, burning off the leaves.  
The roitelet run off again, just to come back yet again soon.  
...because you know, thunderstorms are interesting af.  
FSSSSSSSSSS!  
Potatoes bake straight in the soil.  
SHWOOOM!  
Baked apples and burned leaves and branches fall from the only apple tree left.

\- SOMEONE GET HIM OFF THE WINDOW OR OUR GARDEN IS SENT TO DESTINATION FUCKED! - screamed Griffin somewhere from behind.


	58. Two nights

First night:  
Boris woke up in the middle of the night and decided to go drink some water. He slipped out of the bed carefully, not to wake the Creature up.  
The door didn't even creak, when...  
\- WHAT THE FUCK?! - growled the boglodite, trying to hide from the bright light. - Who the fuck turned the lights on? - he hissed through the teeth, as he was creeping closer to the light switch.  
-Click-  
In a few seconds the small roitelet passed by the boglodite like lightning. He wasn't ready for that turn of events...

Second night:  
Rizel almost fell asleep right on the floor, with the back of his head pressed to the door.   
Finally he realised that it's high time he gets up, because it's nearly 3 AM and he's still in the trench, just like he was when he came home from a walk in the forest a few hours ago.  
No matter that he was standing up as slowly as he could, the roitelet still heard how each joint that was used for that creaked sadly, everything went dark in front of his only eye and he started feeling extremely dizzy.  
When he finally managed o get into an upright position, everything started dancing in front of his eye, like in a kaleidoscope. It took him a few minutes to finally feel better again.  
\- What the fuck? - he silently growled through the teeth. - This body is just about 30 years old, and it already falls apart.  
An electric spark run down the soft felt of the trench.  
\- FUUUUCK YOUUUUUUUUU CHARRRLESSSSS


	59. Talking to yourself isn't always good

\- S-s-s-sometime your body...M-M-MY body will not be able to w-w-w-withstand all of this and we will die. L-l-l-look at her. Just look at her. She will not even notice that you're gone.  
The roitelet looked at his reflection in the stream.  
\- You're an asshole, Charles. - he whispered silently.  
\- T-t-t-that doesn't make me wrong.  
\- Shut up.  
\- N-n-no.  
\- Shut up!  
\- No. - the host's voice in his mind was getting louder and stricter, what once was a scared young student was now sounding like a grown-up...Well, technically his body already was a grown-up of some sort.  
\- SHUT UP! - the roitelet jumped up, nearly screaming, electric sparks running up and down his trench.  
\- You just d-d-don't want to hear the truth. - the boy was persistent today. - I'm just trying to warn you, l-l-l-like my friends tried to warn me... but I didn't listen and I regret it now, b-b-being a part of someone like you.  
\- SHUT! THE! FUCK! UP! - Rizel screamed loudly enough for the scared birds to flee from the bushes by the bridge. Unfortunately for the poor roitelet, he forgot where exactly he was sitting... One wrong step, plus the dizzyness from bolting up so fast, and Rizel found himself on the bottom of the stream.  
Luckly, it wasn't deep enough, so he managed to get out himself.  
For a while he was just standing on all fours by the riverside, looking at his reflection again. Man, what a scary and ugly being he actually is...One-eyed, with no eyebrows and long dusty brown hair, that was darker from the water and was hanging down in wet strands, resembling dark and drippy icicles.  
He sniffed.  
Maybe the host really is right...  
A tear dripped to the river, making the already wavy reflection even more wavy and distorted.  
No, he can't be. Maria cares about him. They all care about him. He's a part of their family now.   
His creator is in that world too, and he probably cares as well.  
The roitelet kept watching the reflection, when suddenly he saw another electric spark between the buttons on his trench. It was small and disappeared quickly, but with him being all wet and standing like that dipped in the river even one small spark can cause a lot of damage...  
He bolted out of the water as fast as he could, feeling how somewhere inside of his mind Charles was laughing like a kid with how funny that looked.  
Still water runs deep, and the kinglet knew that this is not the last attempt of his host to talk or show himself any other way. And his main goal is not to let the human out of his mind.  
For now.


	60. You'll be me and I'll be you

\- Hnnnn... - he opens his only eye slowly.  
No memory of anything. And this definitely isn't the Valley. Nor Limbo.  
Maybe he's dead? His eye widened. The last thing he remembers is how Chorum hit him with his heavy tail.  
Yes, he is definitely dead.   
The roitelet imagined himself lying on the sand, no heart, his insides spread around and the warm blood runs down from the tiny lifeless body, and gulped loudly.  
That...that was not the end he was hoping for. But wait, if he's not in the Valley, nor in the Limbo, and yet he's dead... Where is he, then?  
He blinked a few times. It was still very hard to move and very hard to think straight.  
If he's not dead...yet...Where is he then? This is definitely not a hospital. And looking at the patterns on the bedsheets and the carpets and the floor he could tell that this was not Paxtown or Nilipolis either. They are too...too different. Where the hell is he and what happened and what...  
\- Here, I heard you like iguanas... - his thoughts were interrupted rather rudely with a hoarse, yet soft voice.  
The next second the being that said that, looking like a human, but with black round glass eyes and fingers around them that were holding these in place, turned a box it was holding upside down and three very big lizards fell out. They immideately started wiggling around on the blanket and the being started its attempts to get them back together, but the lizards just didn't stay still.  
The roitelet was too shocked to say anything or even move.  
Finally the reptiles were gathered somewhere on his belly and the being finally turned to him.  
\- Maria.  
He blinked.  
\- Rizel.  
\- I know.

***  
He was sitting on the blue bridge, looking at how Maria was running around, splashing the water all around the place. She was looking so happy, it was a rare sight these few days. The gigantic mustelid didn't act its size, but more like a playful ferret or a dog. It was...a strange sight. But that all was making him think more about her and about himself. They both are parts of one family, but they aren't related by blood or any other, for example, romantic way. More like friends...But much deeper now. Like symbionts. 

***  
\- I'm a total mess. Pathetic vaste of boglodite flesh and Creature's force. - her voice wasn't trembling, she was serious. She meant it.  
\- No. - he carefully stroked her. - What's wrong? What got you in such state? - the roitelet was witnessing that kind of behaviour for the first time. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say or how to act.   
\- Fighting is the only thing I'm good at! I'm a motherfucking idiot and nothing ever could change that! - the being screamed, her fur fluffing up in the "fight or flight" response.  
\- Shhh, relax, relax my dude. You will write that paper. I believe in you. You've got everything, you can do it. - he tried to sound confident to calm her down, but it didn't really work.  
After bringing her a drink and some chocolates, they managed to make a plan, and the next day they both were working on the essay. Maria passed.  
Thanks to the roitelet she passed that thing.  
And she was grateful for it.

***  
He was sitting in that hole for god knows how long, looking at his bleeding knees and getting more and more pale.  
The only thought he had in mind was "Not again, oh goddamn not again". This thime there was no Boris who could have helped him to get out of this.  
Suddenly something moved on the ground level, making the roitelet rise his head in attempts to see who was this. Some pieces of soil and small rocks fell down as the one who was right above him was moving.  
He sighed and hung his head again. Whoever is this, they most likely won't notice him. He just hopes that he could rest a little and get enough energy to transform into an electricity spark to get out.  
Something big and dark brown lands in front of him.  
\- Maria?!  
\- ¡Si! - she yelped, carefully lifting him up. 

***  
Every time it felt like that will be the last thing he knows or sees.  
Crucifere's spikes were getting deeper into his trench and pants, poking so deep that some of them were reaching the skin. He already was held too tight, and there was no way he could get out. The others were in the same position, even Winch, who was naive enough to try and kill her.  
The vines squeezed all the air out of his lungs, making it nearly impossible to inhale again.   
The spikes were getting deeper and deeper.  
Blood was staining his trench already.  
The vision getting blurry.  
This is the end.  
Suddenly the coils loosened. It came so fast that nobody really got what exactly happened. Some were trying to get up, some were just lying on the floor, trying to catch their breath again. The roietelt slowly rose to all fours and looked up, just to meet the binoculars of a familliar figure, who was just chewing the remains of Crucifere's core slowly, the plant juice drippling from the maw like saliva.

***  
The Valley.  
The death.  
He knew that this will happen, he fucking knew that, and tried to warn his other self, but he was stubborn enough to come anyway.  
And now just look at them, going to get executed in front of the king and in front of the crowd.  
\- I don't want to get back to the Limbo... - whispered his other self from that world.  
\- You won't. - said someone else.  
The executioner raised the sword.  
Both hosts were panicking and screaming inside. "I don't want to die you twat why did you even come here why did you even do it you fucker!!!"  
Suspense, suspense...  
\- Any last wor-KHRCH!- - he choked on his own blood, the sword falling out of his grip as the human was trying to reach for the torn throat.  
The crowd gasped, trying to back off, while the king's horsemen were trying to run forward, making a huge mess. In a second the square was full of screams and swearing, rivers of blood running down the streets, both from the beast's victims and from the unfortunate ones who tripped and fell, as they were mushed into a pulp almost immideately.  
Something powerful rips the chains off the roitelets. He looks back to notice the purple smoke coming from the fuzzy figure.  
\- Run.

***  
Rizel looked at the mustelid again, many other moments from their lives in the past few months popping up in his mind.  
She...at times she starts to act like him.   
And he...he starts to act like one of them.  
He still remembers the moment he killed a warrior in the Valley by biting through his throat. It was the first time he felt bad after doing something like that, but not the first time the roitelet expressed animalistic tendencies. A while ago, at a con in one of the universes, he was really tired and pissed off, and when Jeremie from that world approached, his creation growled at him, to make the animator back off.  
Rizel shivered. He actually had to learn how to growl properly, because at times the only way to calm Maria down was to growl back at her.

"I'm confused."  
With all of these dimension-hoppings.  
With all of these different stories.  
He sighed deeply...and loudly enough for Maria to notice it. She stopped in the middle of the stream below and looked up to meet his eye.  
Quickly, the roitelet needs cheering. What can she do?

\- Let's go fishing? - she asked carefully. It was both kinda fun, as they would be together and would talk for a while, and provided food for the villagers, including their own family. Even if Maria wasn't eating cooked fish, unless in the fish crackers.  
The roitelet sighed again.  
"I just need to stay alone for a moment..."  
\- Yes, let's go.


	61. You can't save everyone

The roitelet was sitting on an old barrel with a warning symbol on its side, watching how Boris worked on the plane he just got. It was a really nice, but very old plane, so it needed a lot of work before it could be used during the dimension-hoppings. Actually, he got it in one of them, first rented for $15 and then after saving the owner of that plane he was allowed to keep it.  
The roitelet watched how his alien friend was running around the plane, fixing something here and there and nearly squealing with delight, like a kid who finally got the toy he wanted.  
Rizel just wanted to say something about acting like an adult, but quickly remembered a thing and didn't even make a sound. The boglodite was too focused on the plane to notice anything else at that time. The boglodite is 24. The average lifespan of his species is 250-300 years.  
"Just stopped to be referred to as a pup."  
No wonder he acts like that sometimes.  
The roitelet sighed. At least the alien found what makes him happy. Even though the sight of a being twice as big as the roitelet, messing with an old plane and snoring, growling, purring or yelping sometimes, or making any other animalistic noise was making him shiver.  
Or was it just the sight?   
He jumped off the barrel, trying to wrap himself deeper into his trench. The cold wind wasn't bothering the alien, but it was enough to make the roitelet get back to warmth and safety, as it was bringing back really shitty memories about the time they just came here. What was also worrying him was that he started to remember the time they arrived there at winter, even though he didn't really remember anything else nor where he stayed at that time...  
Rizel slowly walked off, the cold wet grass brushing his shoes and leaving wet traces on them.  
\- Hey! - the boglodite called, looking out from under the plane. - Can you get my shirt back home as well? Or I'm afraid I'll forget it here again and it will get wet just like that one last time.  
Rizel thought for a second:  
\- Ya, sure.  
Boris tossed him the heavy beige cowboy-styled shirt and disappeared under the plane again.  
As the roitelet grabbed it, something small, yet heavy fell out and disappeared in the grass. Swearing silently he started looking for it, hoping not to catch anything like nettles or thorns or any of that other shit that was growing in that part of the yard.   
Keys.  
They were shining softly under the dim white light from the sky.  
Rizel picked them up and walked back home. First he wanted to just put them back where they belonged, but something stopped him.  
He looked at the keys again. The whole thing resembled a pair of the usual car keys, maybe from a Subaru or a Toyota, something like that. With a heavy keychain and a small leather one. What caught his eye was that there was no sign of what car they belonged to. They were looking really worn out, and heavier than normal car keys should be, let alone the keychain.  
He walked closer to the fruit trees, hopeing that nobody would see him behind them, and clicked one of the buttons...  
...and was immideately nearly blinded by a blue-ish shine coming from the opening of a portal.  
Rizel backed off, noticing to himself that he started growling silently.  
The portal looked differently than all of the ones he was going through, as it was leading into a black corridor full of other portals to thousands of other dimensions. As he peered inside, he could only see the first fifty, maybe sixty opened portals, and then the slits were merging together from being so far away and the corridor itself was too long to count them all, its end was disappearing in the darkness.  
The roitelet inhaled deeply, and after a tiny bit of thought run straight into the portal.  
...it felt like that one time when Chorum thrown him into the stone wall of the cave.The roitelet's tiny body squished against the force field and he bounced off, back to the ground.  
"Seriously, dude, don't do it." - he heard Charles' voice inside of his mind. - "Trust me."  
But if before Rizel was doing it just out of curiosity, his host's intervention just made him want to get in even more. That's how they travel through all of these dimensions. He must learn how to do it himself, and he would either be accepted even more or... or either way, he'd be more powerful that way. If only he could get in... The roitelet rose to his feet again and looked at the portal hole.   
After his attempt, the force field became nearly visible, like a screen, and after a few moments of random unknown symbols glowing bright blue and running up and down he saw the words forming.  
"New user? Do you want to proceed?" - the font was new to him, but still readable.  
Below the questions two buttons appeared, big enough to be pressed by something as big as Chorum in his final form.  
"Y"  
"N"  
He thought that he'd need to put more effort into pressing the "Y" button, but it reacted to the lightest touch.   
The force field fell, but before he stepped in the roitelet read the last warning.  
"Remember: you can't save everyone"  
Rizel just shrugged it off. He wasn't going to do anything that good or bad. He'd just look for a bit, not even going into any of those worlds. Just a quick check, and he will come back. Hopefully the portal won't close and trap him, but the keys were still in his hand...He could get out.

The roitelet walked down the corridor slowly, looking around.  
Each of these slits was going to the different time and/or place in his universes, mostly, but there were a few from Bill's, Boris' or Shrike's universes.  
It was absolutely silent in the corridor, and the only thinh he heard was his own breathing.  
Everything around looked like a muted TV on Discovery channel.  
Here he is sitting on Vivaldi's table in the hospital, while the doctor is changing the medical tape on his eye.  
Here he is fighting Chorum.  
Here he is getting his powers, back to his life in the Valley.  
Here he is playing chess with Arumeri.  
Here he is held by someone in black, trying to get away, but to no avail.  
The roitelet run into the portal. He saw his other selves's eye, full of pain and fear. He needed to save him. To help himself. Before it's too late.   
But all of the slits reacted the same, they were protected by an invisible force field that was just making the roitelet bounce off to the floor.  
He was trying again and again, until the lightning he sent there bounced back at him, making him fall to the floor. It was more painful than he expected and than he remembered. By the time he caught his breath and stood up, grabbing the wall and reeling, the deed was done.  
Rizel watched how Vivaldi from that world found his body, saw the shock and pain on his face. He couldn't hear anything, and he knew that Vivaldi probably didn't even see him, but he could read his lips whispering the silent "Master, please no, please don't go."  
The kinglet hung his head. So that's what the writing was warning him about...  
He slowly wandered to another slit...  
\- CHORUM, NO! - the roitelet bolted into the portal, forgetting about the force field. The same thing followed, he was trying to get into the portal, throwing lightnings at the invisible barrier, suffering from them. When he saw himself from that world die too he run to the other portal, just to see how Richard impales him on a long metallic spike.  
He didn't count for how long he was there, for how long he was trying to get into at least one portal, to save that other Rizel there.  
In the end he found himself weeping on the floor beside one of the portals where Howard killed Charles straight as he was inhabited by Rizel, scratching the barrier. He must have looked so ugly and scary, and just have been such a sorry sight at that moment, helplessly scratching the portal until his nails were bleeding, in desperate attempts to get in.  
Something fell out of his pocket, making a loud noise that echoed through the dark corridor for a few moments.  
Rizel sniffed, looking at the thing.   
The keys.  
It's time to get back.  
He has seen enough.  
Enough to remind himself what a helpless being he actually is.  
A weak, helpless, ugly, scary, heartless monster.  
A pale bleeding hand grabbed the keys and pressed the first button it felt under its fingers.  
Half of the corridor beside him was cut with the opened portal. The kinglet looked out. There it was still silent, only an apple or a few leaves were falling down sometimes. The shirt that he left on the ground was still there, just a little more dirty than it was. The cold wind was brushing the wet grass back and fourth. Somewhere far away a bird screamed and it was silent again.  
Nobody noticed how a small figure tumbled out of the portal and how it silently closed behind it.  
He walked home slowly, looking at the ground and hoping that nobody sees him like that. He was nearly crying again, and his hands were so shaky that the kinglet tried to open the backyard glass door for a few minutes before it finally slid to the side, letting him pass.  
Everyone probably went to one of their neighbours, as it was completely silent in the lair, and dark too.  
Rizel walked to his room and heavily flopped to the bed, not even taking his shoes or trench off. he didn't have any willpower left to do so.  
For a few moments it was silent, then something rustled behind the door. The roitelet shrunk, curled up, he had no more power to keep the tears from flowing. He had just one eye, but it produced enough to make a giant wet stain on the blanket.  
The rustle grew, but he didn't react.  
Nor did he react when a giant black animal curled around him, warming up the small shivering thing.  
He expected anything, from a bite, or any other punishment for using the portal keys, to a long talk, but the being had other ways.  
"Just breathe"  
It only said it once, with a quiet soft voice, but these words were echoing in his mind for a few more minutes.  
Just breathe.  
It will pass.  
Just breathe.  
This reaction is normal.  
Just breathe.  
You need to rest.  
Just breathe.  
Just breathe.  
Just breathe.  
Just  
Breathe.

When the Creature felt that the roitelet's tiny body relaxed as he was drifting away, it slid out of the room like a thin stream of black smoke.  
When they came back it told them that he is tired and sleeps in his room, and is not to be disturbed.  
When Boris asked for the shirt and the keys it poked to the small table by the door. The shirt was cleaned and folded, and the keys clean, the history of the last few hours wiped.  
Nobody else got to know.  
Nobody else -had- to know.  
Not right now.


	62. The film

\- Uhm...Dudes... You know... I've got some vinyl film left. - Boris appeared on the doorstep, wrinkling a large sheet of vinyl film in his hands. - Just, this piece didn't fit, I wanted to decorate the wing with it, but...well, you see.  
Everyone stared at the poor ill-fated film. It was beautiful, with a drippled water and polka dot pattern. Though, yes, it wouldn't look good on a plane wing.  
\- I KNOW WHERE WOULD IT FIT! - Griffin grabbed the film from boglodite's hands and run to the far end of their yard.  
\- LOOK AT THAT! We could fit it to the toilet window! - the arcanian immideately torn off a big piece and sticked it to to the window, using his hat as the piece of cloth to smooth the thing. Insides of the cabin immideately got darker, but the light became much more blue.  
\- It should be stuck to the inner side. - muttered Boris.  
\- Piece of cake! - Griffin tore off another piece and put it on the inner side of the glass. In a minute his head popped out of the cabin again, but before he even opened his mouth the boglodite pulled the film back to himself:  
\- THERE ARE NO MORE WINDOWS HERE.  
\- Pffft, piece of cake, they'll be here in a min! - happily squeaked Griffin as he grabbed the axe from the corner. - Get the glass.  
In a few minutes full of snuffling and hard work with the axe the old wooden cabin with a toilet in the middle had one more window.  
And then one more.  
And then another one.  
And then yet another one more.  
And one in the roof.  
...and if a few more minutes all of them had the film on both sides.  
\- Is this a new gallery of Kaiser Stark or a portable toilet cabin? - both alien turned sharply to the voice of the roitelet, who was looking as grumpy and bored as always.  
Boris took a hard look at the cabin.  
\- Yeah...Griff, he's right, let's stop tormenting the poor old toilet cabin, let's stick it someplace else...  
The arcanian just fuffed in response.  
In about an hour the whole village was shining polka dot blue.  
All of their neighbours had all of their cabin windows covered with the film, even if they didn't want to.  
The chicken coop windows were also blue.  
And the toilet inside of the house had the vinyl film on its window...on both sides.  
And even after all of that they still had some film left. The boglodite sighed and sticked the last few pieces to the inner surface of the wardrobe door.

\- IT WOULD ALSO LOOK GREAT ON THE RAINWATER PIPES! - the arcanian grabbed the leftovers and quickly zigzagged back home.  
Boris sighed deeply. They could only hope that the arcanian won't get to the big pieces that were now hidden in the wardrobe...


	63. Quiet talks in the car - part 1

He hated these moments with all his heart and soul.  
One second he was sitting on the backseat in their flying car, all cosy and tucked between his two boglodite friends.... and the other he was descending into the black void of his subconsciousness again, where his host was waiting for him.  
This time it was even quicker, and when he closed his eye in the car he opened it in his mind-world.   
Charles was already there, waiting for the one who took over his body to appear.  
\- YOU... - growled the roitelet, trying to change the sitting pose into a more comfortable one. Fail.  
He couldn't move an inch, and that was driving him absolutely mad. In this place he couldn't use electricity as well, for some reason, so he couldn't just zap his way out. The roitelet growled in despair, a bitter tear rolling down his cheek.

Charles came closer. He changed a little, but still kept the student-like look. Rizel knew that Charles could take any form he wants in his mind, but for some reason he stuck with that one.  
What didn't change at all were his eyes, they were the same deep ones, with an ocean of sadness inside. He bowed closer to the kinglet and stared at him for a few minutes, not saying a word, making his enslaver try to look away not to maintain the eye contact.  
Finally the silence was broken with his quiet words:  
\- Y-y-you are much more...emotional than you were in P-p-p-p-paxtown.  
Rizel growled. He knew that he was starting to get mushy, but when you live with a freaking talking mustelid-shapeshifter it's hard to keep a straight face and a stiff upper lip. His host kept looking at him with the same sadness in his eyes.   
\- You c-c-c-can't move b-b-b-because you aren't asleep d-d-d-deep enough, you know?  
\- Grrrrrrrr... - was the response.  
Charles turned away, his voice changing. He wasn't stuttering anymore.  
\- I just wanted to tell you something... Since we both live in the same body, I feel like I have to warn you...  
The roitelet didn't listen. His only desire was to get out of that. Get away. He was scared like a kid.  
\- ...don't rely on the ones you see around...  
There must be someone who could get him out of that. Just who?  
\- ...you drain yourself with every electric spark that flies from your fingers...  
His creator is too far away and he probably didn't even think that this could happen... there's just the black being and it probably won't help at all...Not again...  
\- ...but we are connected, and it's deeper than you may think...  
Maria.  
The roitelet tried to wheeze her name out, but to no avail.  
\- Mariaaa...  
Charles turned to him. For the first time in so long the roitelet saw his host being angry.  
\- MARIAAAA - he tried to scream louder, but his voice was getting more and more distorted and quiet.  
\- MARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

\- Are you okay?! - she stretched her arm towards the door, trying to grab the water bottle without looking there.  
Rizel sat up sharply, gasping for air. The shift was so sudden again that he didn't have time to get ready for that. He never had.   
The kinglet glanced at the creature on the front seat. It was talking to Yazz quietly, sometimes breathing small clouds of water vapor out.  
Maria was still looking at him, silently demanding an answer.  
\- Yes, yes, I am...I think...Did I say anything in my sleep? - he shivered.  
\- Nah, nothing...I don't know what even woke me up. You looked all pale and you were shivering and....and I just... - the perunium was twitching her ears nervously.  
\- I know. You did great. Thank you. - he snuggled deeper into the travel pillow. He didn't want to fall asleep again, coming back to Charles wouldn't be what he wanted at that moment, but the silent talking of the Creature and the monotonous "Brrrrrrrrrr" of the engine relaxed him enough to drift off again.


	64. Quiet talks in the car - part 2

Pretty much everyone sleeps. The car goes smoothly, flying just a few metres above the trees around the road. The Sun was already going down, but it wasn't low enough yet, and so the road and everything around was still illuminated by a soft light that was already turning pink.  
Yazz was driving, sometimes chatting to Inverted when he felt like breaking the silence that was only sometimes disturbed by one of the passengers snoring or yawning in their sleep.The Creature with pitch black fur was mostly staring out of the windows, only sometimes taking a few deep breaths from the galactic vape it was holding.   
\- Have you noticed how much have they changed in such a short time? - it fiddled with the vape.  
Yazz nodded. Yeah, it was hard not to notice how much his family members have changed in just a few Earth months, after the arrival of their last family member.  
\- Do you remember him in the series? All serious, but his host trying to get away, hurting the roitelet.  
\- I do. Why do you suddenly want to talk about him? - the boglodite wanted to snarl at the being, but just looked away instead.  
\- He's connected to Maria, that's why. - the mustelid chuckled darkly. - He has no "seizures" in so long just because she balances him in a way. But of course, she drains herself doing it, and becomes very... unstable, to say the least. - a cloud of vapor that it breathed out turned into a silhouette of a teenager falling on the ground in a transformation fit. - Plus, that's highly possible that they are here with us right now exactly because of her being unstable. Well, and because of the other one she is connected to.  
\- The prototype, you mean? - Yazz shook his head. - But back on topic...I know they are connected, I just don't know how. - he muttered silently.  
\- Pretty much like most of us. - Inverted fuffed. - Energy balance. She gives him some of her energy when he needs it to keep control over his body, but when that little bit is essential for her to keep her own form that's when she becomes unstable. It's easy. - Inverted breathed the vapor in and shut up for a few seconds, giving Yazz time to think.  
\- Does she know about it? - he finally asked.  
\- Kinda. - the being moved its ears. - She feels that but can't explain. Like sometimes on the lessons. - it looked like a dragon breathing vapor when it was talking like that. This time the clouds formed a very interesting picture - two girls and a roitelet were standing on a board on the edge of a cliff, balancing each other. Before it started to disappear, Inverted breathed out more vapor, which renewed the picture - just one of the girls was stepping back from the board.  
\- She is actually much more powerful than she thinks... - it said quietly,breathing out another cloud.  
The girl was off the board, and so it was flipping, sending the other girl and the roitelet into the air.  
Yazz shivered at that sight.   
\- And what if she will not be able to do it?  
\- Then one of us will be there to save him. - the creature breathed out another cloud of a grey long mustelid that pressed the board into the normal position, allowing the roitelet and the girl to climb out.  
As Yazz marvelled at it, they both heard a slight whimper coming from the back. Inverted immideately turned its head to nearly 180 degrees and breathed out a cloud of mist towards Maria.  
As the vapor reached her, it formed into a hand that harshly grabbed the perunium's nose, making her yelp and wake up.  
At first the girl didn't notice anything, she was still too sleepy and dizzy, but there the roitelet whimpered again, making her shift her full attention to waking him up.  
Inverted turned back to Yazz, grinning like a Cheshire cat.  
\- See? Just what I told you about.  
\- You just woken her up. - muttered the alien.  
\- Still, if not for me, do you think that this sleepyhead would have heard his pleading? - the Creature grinned even wider.  
Yazz sighed and turned from the being, hearing Maria's worried "Are you okay?!" from behind.

\- Yes, yes, I am...I think...Did I say anything in my sleep?


	65. It's not the end

It was just another day.  
Everybody was doing what they were doing all of these days, not talking to each other.  
The apartment was quiet, only sometimes the silent "pfffsshhhh" of a robot cleaner was heard when it was hitting the carpet again, or water dripped in the sink, into a plie of dishes that nobody washed yet.  
Drip.  
Drop-drop-drop.  
The skies were clear, and most of the rooms were filled with warm and soft light. The cat and the lizards were sleeping on the carpet by the balcony door, sometimes yawning in their sleep.  
The roitelet woke up from his afternoon nap and stretched had enough to hear his bones creak. Maria was drawing, just as usual. Her artistic drive as back, and she spent days trying to finish her growing to-do list. Usually she was so deep in art taht she didn't really notice what was happening around, but this time the boglodite turned to him when she heard or saw the roitelet getting up.  
\- You know...Today I've noticed that "Lastman" disappeared from the "trending" section.  
The roitelet turned to her.  
\- Uh, sorry?  
Maria opened a few more tabs on her PC and made a "come closer" type of gesture.  
\- Look. The amount of people still interested lowered enough to make the topic disappear from the "popular". Now people are talking about Archie's death...he was a good goo..., about killing wheels, about a naturalist that got stuck in Africa and so he had to be rescued by a helicopter, about another series and about succulent breeding. I don't know for how long, but I guess you're kinda...kinda free now, you know?  
Rizel nodded. That all was quite hard to understand so quickly, so the roitelet just muttered something and walked out.  
The animals didn't even move when they saw the door closing behind the small being, and he decided not to bother them with pets and affection. For some time the kinglet was just standing by the piano, listening to the silent "whiiiiiiiiiiiii" of the washing machine and trying to understand what did Maria mean.  
"Free?"  
He blinked.  
The sky was clear, the yard below was empty and silent. There wasn't even any wind to rustle the tree leaves.  
He reclined on the stone porch and looked up. For the first time in a while the roitelet felt calm and peaceful. Last time he felt something like that was so long ago, that it seemed like a dream. He found his place, he got accepted by this weird family where only two beings were close relatives, and now as the people there forgot about the series he comes from, he can no longer be hiding like a fox from the Creature.   
The roitelet didn't know if that is permanent or just a "calm before the storm", but he hoped that this feeling will stay for longer.  
Life felt so bright and colorful, and the future stable.  
The only eye focused on the distant building of a big station that was nearly on the other side of the city.  
The skies were turning pink, and the pink to blue gradient was absolutely fascinating.  
The only few clouds were lit up by this warm light and floated around nearly pink.  
Some birds flew by, tweeting cheerfully.  
The roitelet smiled softly.  
Finally free.


	66. Don't touch me

\- Don't touch me. - muttered the roitelet, feeling how something big passed by.  
It was the worst morning in a while. He could swear that before he had never felt that shitty in his life.  
No will to live. No will to do anything. No will to get out of bed.  
He was hungry, but couldn't even fall out of bed to go to the kitchen. Nor call for help.   
The roitelet didn't know why does he feel like that and what to do. He was just lying on his tier of the bed, grumpily observing the dusty wallpapers with his only eye.  
At least Maria seemed silent too and didn't bother him...  
A sudden realisation struck the kinglet. Maria feels just the same. That's why the tail above hasn't moved in hours.  
She also lies right above him with the same condition, not feeling like she could get out of bed... But soon the thoughts about Maria were overshadowed by his analysis of his own situation, which was getting nowhere. His thoughts were getting slower and slower, he felt like he couldn't talk anymore at all.  
Something big heavily fell behind him and scurried away, but he didn't react at first, only when it came back and rustled behind the roitelet for the second time.  
\- Don't touch me. - that was the only thing he could wheeze out, feeling how something big was moving behind him. Probably Maria decided that she was stronger than this depressive episode and got out of bed... He sniffed. He knew that she is stronger than him, but that situation just made him feel even worse. Why did the aliens save him in the first place? He would have felt much better being dead.  
The Valley sucked. Paxtown sucked even more. This place was foreign to him, and he only saw a tiny bit...and he probably won't see any more than that.  
Something big and fluffy touched his side, making the roitelet curl tighter.  
\- Leave me. - he closed his eye, feeling how the tear rolled down to his nose. - I feel bad.  
\- I do too. - the mustelid carefully embraced the small being, moving him closer to the wall.  
For some time they were just lying together, the giant perunium nearly hiding the smaller kinglet from the world. He tried to protest, but he knew what could an electric spark do to her, even if she just took the pills, and he definitely didn't want to burn alive. The roitelet wanted to be gone, but not in such a painful way as that. But as time was passing he stopped strugging, slowly getting consumed by the apathy, that was creeping closer and closer.  
But there was something soothing in that embrace...He was not alone anymore. He knew he was safe, she was there to protect him. Even if he didn't like feeling small and helpless, the roitelet had to admit that this feeling was helping him.  
They can do it. They will be okay. They will rest for a little, and then everything will be alright again.  
But for now...They should rest. And sleep.  
The roitelet allowed himself to drift off.  
It all will be alright in the end.  
They will make sure of it.


	67. Guard

Guard him.  
Guard him.  
I have to guard him.  
The being growled in its sleep.  
Guard.  
Creature twitched and woke up. Looking at its sleeping friend a little thought passed in its mind about guarding the boglodite, but there was just one small threat at the moment, and the alien could have dealt with it on himself. It's not even a threat, just a person who likes him a bit too much.  
Guard.  
Guard the roitelet.  
Long musteline body tensed, making muscles jut through the fur. It slowly stood up and sliently slipped out of the room.  
Guard. The. Roitelet.  
Creature caught a glimpse of its face in the water bowl before it started to drink from it again. The kitchen was absolutely silent, and it was still dark.  
Created as a guardian and warrior, the being needed someone it could protect. It was protecting the boglodite for the first few years, but then he got stronger and could protect himself.  
The roitelet was a perfect target. All small and helpless, with a lot of people who are interested in either killing him, or anything worse... Creature shook the thoughts off and kept drinking, until the bowl was completely empty. It stopped only when it realised that for about a minute it was licking the bowl dry.  
Guard.  
It needs to guard the tiny thing. And it will guard him. Sure, Maria will probably be against it, since she also started expressing these guarding tendencies...apple never falls far from the tree, they say. They're right. Even though Maria isn't quite Chuborinci's "kid", but a creation, like an arts and crafts project, she still has some parts of the white mustelid. Guarding included.  
Her guarding call must be less than the one of a Creature, but it still is present.  
The being looked into the dark bedroom.  
Both were sleeping on their tiers of the bed, curled up and tucked in. No threats whatsoever.  
Guard.  
The being sliently circled the room. It was trying to make itself believe that there's nothing to worry about, nothing to bother them both about, they are sleeping, they are okay, they both are safe and since they barely go anywhere now it's perfectly okay.  
GUARD.  
The being sighed and curled up by Rizel's tier of the bed. The guarding call was slowly dying down, since the being was super close to the one it was protecting. The mustelid fluffed a little, curled tighter into a fuzzy doughnut and tried to fall back asleep.

***  
\- What's gotten into you, fluffbutt? - the alien looked at his musteline friend that was mindlessly circling around the room.  
\- Guard. - the answer was short and abrupt. - I need to guard.  
\- Guard me? - the boglodite was back to his oil painting he was commissioned to do a week ago.  
Creature sharply stopped in the middle of the room and stared at him with such look on its face as if he just said something deeply offensive.  
\- You don't need to be guarded anymore. You're strong enough.  
\- Mhm. I guess that's a good new. - the alien sighed, adding highlights to the eye.  
\- Good for you. - Creature flopped beside him. - You know, I was created as a guardian of POFT and her palace... Sometimes I have these guarding episodes coming back, I can't deny that I was made to be a mindless fighting machine. And this time I really need to guard someone and the best target is HIM.  
For a few moments they were looking at each other in silence, though Creature mostly marvelled at its reflection in Boris' binoculars. Then the alien sighed even deeper than before:  
\- You know I can't hold you forcefully.  
Before slipping out of the room it turned its head back like an owl to make eye contact again:  
\- Will you be sad?  
The boglodite just turned to the painting, not saying a word.  
Long fluffy tail disappeared from the room.

***  
\- It doesn't let anyone come closer. - the roitelet was sitting in his armchair, carefully stroking the beast that was sitting on the floor by his seeing side.  
His minions and some other roitelets were crowding in the other part of the room, sometimes glancing at the being.  
A few crimson puddles on the floor were the perfect evidence that the being was absolutely serious in its intentions. Nobody touches its little homesick lightning. Nobody.  
Finally Vivaldi decided to risk it and come closer. He stopped in about five metres, when Creature's growl was loud enough to be heard with infrasound.  
\- Shhh. It's alright. It's alright. It's just Vivaldi. He doesn't want to hurt me.  
\- You think? - growled the being. - Just remember why do you hate pinwheels so much.  
\- It happened in another reality.  
\- Still affects you. - the creature shut up for a moment, but tightened the tail coil around them both. - Don't come closer or I am biting you! - it growled to the doctor.  
Vivaldi just spent half an hour patching up the unfortunate person who dared to disobey his Master and the being that was protecting him, and he definitely didn't want the same to happen to him, so he had to back off.  
\- Hopefully this guarding episode will be gone in a few days... - the roitelet sighed. - But for now, don't touch us. Please.

***  
"A few days", my ass. In this reality it has been more than a fucking week, nearly everyone in Paxtown knew that when they see a small man in a dusty trench with a big fluffy being they better back off.  
The last straw was the moment when the mafia saw them coming towards Zenkova's club...and they just turned 180 degrees and run away. All of them.  
When the duo entered the club it was empty.  
\- Don't drink too much. - the roitelet looked up as he heard the hoarse voice of his guardian. - You remember how it affects you.  
Rizel sighed. Yeah, he spent countless nights in that club when he was younger, drinking until he was falling from the chair and wasn't able to pay anymore. But now they were alone there. Well, nearly alone... Maria, the dancer from the club was still hiding somewhere, but she wasn't that big of a threat, so the Creature completely ignored her. Still, the presence of two extremely powerful beings was making her tremble and silently whimper in her hideout.  
Suddenly the roitelet twitched a few times and slipped from the chair. Creature alerted even before the silent "thud" of the falling body was heard.  
\- You g-g-guard h-h-him f-f-from-m ev-veryone... - the roitelet coughed, electric sparks running up and down his tiny body, the last bits of control over the body disappearing. That was the first "seizure" in so long, and neither of them was ready for it. - B-b-ut h-h-how ar-re you g-g-going t-to p-p-protect him from ME? - Charles grinned.  
The door was kicked open, and the two men on the doorstep gasped at the sight of the tiny thing being shaken by the giant fluffy monster, screeching "GIVE MY ROITELET BACK YOU ASSHOLE!"  
\- Wh-what are you g-g-going to do, huh? B-b-bite me? - the human was smiling, knowing that he's safe. Well, nearly safe, because the being had its own methods of getting to the roitelet...  
But before anything could happen, two shots could be heard. The bullets missed the fluffy thing, hitting the wall, but it was enough... Growling, the thing slowly turned from the human, letting the roitelet get his body back. Even if that happened for such a little moment, shifting still took a lot of energy, and the roitelet was too tired to move. Tired and nearly drunk. The last thing he could whisper was "run", before the Creature bolted forward, biting into Howard's metallic arm. The gun was thrown away as the human tried to get the strong jaws off. The monster was even stronger than he expected, these jaws were crushing the metal underneath, crumbling it like paper, ripping the metallic tendons inside to pieces.  
Luckly, when Vivaldi tried to sneak by and help his Master stand up, the being spitted the metal out and jumped towards him, but as the doctor still didn't reach the tiny body all he had to do was to back off, so they both managed to escape nearly unharmed. Howard's arm was repaired, and the only thing they both really understood was that the being is not to be messed with.

***  
Second week in his home world.  
Charles, who also got to witness the attack, decided to keep silent and let his captor control the body.  
There wasn't much to do, to be honest. Creature didn't like it either, it was getting tired easily from being constantly tensed and listening to all the noises around, to spot the possible threat. Comparing to the roitelet it lasted longer, of course, but that didn't help much.  
Even the pigeons learned that they better avoid these two, let alone the other birds, such as seagulls, crows and sparrows.  
They were walking slowly through the empty skating park. The only sound was the footsteps of the roitelet, since the being was silent and smooth as ever. The guarding call was dying down, but it still was present.  
Yesterday it nearly ate Alvarius and so the roitelet had to spend the whole night feeding the animal warm milk, while Vivaldi was patching up the woman, trying to make sure she survives the night. Even being intoxicated, feeling extremely dizzy and fuzzing like a burr the animal still tried to guard the roitelet. He knew it didn't sleep.  
The day before yesterday it bit Chorum's tail off. It was lucky that humans don't have tails, or else he'd die from the blood loss. This way he only became a not so proud owner of a perfect cross made out of eighty four stitches on his butt.  
And even before the being got to the roitelet of lust... It couldn't throw up, just like Chorum, so the Creature was torn between running to the kitchen to drink and guarding Rizel. In the end the roitelet had to allow the water cooler in the conference room, so the being was just bolting from the roitelet to the cooler behind him, instead of running to the shower or to the kitchen and dragging Rizel with itself.  
\- When we're coming back, how much time would have passed in our world? - he gulped. "Our" world... More like Creature's.  
\- A few hours. - it flopped to the ground heavily.  
\- A FEW HOURS?! - the roitelet nearly growled.  
\- Yep.  
\- Holy shit. - he leaned on the concrete ramp, sending some electric sparks down in attempts to relieve the tension. Something behind the ramp yelped "OW!" and jumped up, standing so high that both the roitelet and the protective being saw it.  
Creature stared at the human for a moment...and then barked at the person, instead of growling. Both the roitelet and the girl turned to the mustelid with a silent question in their three eyes.  
Threat.  
Guard.  
Threat.  
\- You're a friend... I can't growl at you. I don't want to.  
Threat.  
Guard.  
\- Well, thank you...I guess... - the human slowly slid down. The being was extremely tensed either way, all its feelings screaming at once.  
Threat.  
Eliminate.  
Kill.  
Protect.  
Guard.  
Creature looked away:  
\- Don't come closer.  
\- Why? - the girl looked confused.  
\- I'm afraid I will hurt you. - the mustelid coiled its tail around the roitelet. - I don't want to hurt my friend. - it was shaking with tension, ready to bolt into a fight at any minute.  
The human backed off slightly:  
\- Okay, I think i und-d-derstand... I'm just... I'm curious...Can I maybe...  
She made two mistakes. And she was lucky she was able to get off the scene alive... Firstly, she leaned forward and touched the roitelet. Then, by how his eye widened she thought that the best reaction was to run.  
Never run from a wild animal.  
Especcially a powerful wild animal with strong guarding tendencies.  
She would have been dead, but Rizel grabbed the being's tail and that gave her a few extra milliseconds to escape. Fortunately for the girl, unfortunately for the roitelet, because he lost his balance and fell forward, to the cold concrete ground. It took the being just a second to bolt back, but that didn't really help roitelet's bloody nose. He just hoped it wasn't broken or anything, his nose already wasn't the most beautiful one in town...  
Or maybe it was good for the roitelet as well? The being immideately tapped his nose, using its power to stop the blood, and then started to wipe the remaining blood off. Its guarding instincts were still telling the animal to hunt down whoever did it, but it was still unsure...  
\- Did I...do this?  
Rizel smirked:  
\- No, it was me. - the roitelet could swear that he saw the blue screen of death somewhere inside the creature's lenseless binoculars.  
Creature stared at him for a few seconds, processing the information, and then sharply turned around:  
\- Let's go home.  
\- "Home" home or the here "home"? - he blinked.  
\- Home. Thank your nose. - it barked, opening the portal. The being was right, they were absent for just a few hours, but the sky was already dark and Maria was already working at the "nighttime" drawings.  
Still a little confused, the roitelet followed. He felt that something important happened but couldn't understand what exactly. This all was extremely confusing. Two weeks there equalled six hours in his new home dimension, plus the protective fluffy being suddenly stopped being so protective and guarding him, and what was all of that? How could he explain to the others later why he went for a walk with the fluff and then disappeared?  
And who was that girl they met at the park? He could swear he saw her somewhere before, but where?  
\- OH MY GOD ARE YOU OKAY?! - Maria turned from the PC to greet them, but nearly forgot what to say when she saw what his trench turned to.  
The roitelet winced out of his thoughts. Oh yes, how could he forget... The blood.  
\- Let me help you. - the girl stood up from her comfortable seat. - What were you even doing?!  
\- Saving someone from the white fluffy asshole. - he muttered.- I'm okay, don't worry, it fixed me already...  
Judjing by Maria's look she definitely wasn't buying it, though.  
The roitelet had a lot to explain...And so did the fluffy asshole that immideately slipped out of the room to go check on the boglodite.  
But they had a lot of time ahead of them. Luckly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "- Shhh. It's alright. It's alright. It's just Vivaldi. He doesn't want to hurt me.  
> \- You think? - growled the being. - Just remember why do you hate pinwheels so much.  
> \- It happened in another reality." is a reference to a story I've also written, but will not post here, so poke me if you want to read it.


	68. Hobbies

\- What do you do in your spare time? - the perunium asked, turning to the sleepy roitelet from her drawing.  
\- ...uh?  
He was woken up early, and then couldn't fall back asleep so all that the poor tired roitelet was doing was lying on the bed and mindlessly scrolling through the Instagram posts that were tagged as "Lastman". More than 90% of them had nothing related to the series, but he didn't really care, he needed just something to stop the boredom. But either way his thoughts were getting blurry already, and the roitelet knew that he will probably still fall asleep soon.  
\- Like...Hobbies. Do you have any hobbies? - Maria looked at him, ridging her whiskers.  
Rizel blinked.  
\- Uh...no.  
The perunium didn't seem impressed or satisfied with that answer.  
\- You see, I was, and I still am the head of Order of the Lion, so I barely had any "spare time", I was constantly occupied with different things like keeping the whole thing running or trying to find ways to get into the Valley... - he cringed at the end of the phrase. A few months passed, but he still couldn't forget how he was running through the whole Valley with all the king's horsemen chasing him.  
Maria grinned:  
\- So, now as you're here...we've got to find you a hobby.  
The roitelet bounced up:  
\- WHAT?!

 

\- What? Why? Is that really neccessary?! - he looked around helplessly.  
\- Yep. - Maria twitched her ears. - Look, we all are doing something that keeps us from getting bored.  
\- Mmm-hmm. - yes, all of them. Just Shrike's hobby is eating at McDonald's all the time and laughing at funny pictures, the bugs' hobby is probably just sleeping on the sunny spots in the middle of the garden and Scrad's hobby is annoying his master to the point she swears she's going to throw him out of the window.  
\- I'll... think about it. - the roitelet picked his trench up from the chair - For now I'm afraid I have to go... you know...stuff in that other dimension...   
Maria didn't seem very convinced, but opened the portal nevertheless, allowing the roitelet to slip out.

***  
The day was coming to an end. It was quite a busy one, he had no time to just relax and think of anything but work.  
New recruits, old things, finding new purpose for the order at all, new sources of income, - that all kept the roitelet on the edge of his seat until the very evening. The stream of new and old members of the order finally died down, there were about fen to fifteen minutes before Arumeri was going to come, and so the kinglet allowed himself to drift off again.  
The result of his stream of conciousness didn't satisfy. His life in this world really was rather boring. Whole days filled with nothing but these red and white masks and black suits, same goals, same speeches he has read thousands of times. With the disappearance of his main goal it all started to be even more bleak than before.  
On the other hand, Creature and company always had something to do. They have no goal as well, they just go and have fun... for eternity.   
Rizel sighed.  
Never before had he thought of how boring his life actually was. Maybe because he literally had nothing to compare it with, life in the Valley was an ideal that he couldn't reach, but as we all remember only the most emotional moments he remembered only the best...and the worst things from it. Overtime they started feeling more like a fading dream, than anything else. And then he gets into that other dimension, meets the Creatures, and he gets something that can be compared to his life here. After that anything but that overwhelming dimension-hopping mess feels bleak and boring. Even the colors in the room.  
\- Shall we turn the lights on, maybe? - the small roitelet winced as he heard Arumeri's voice.  
\- Yeah-yeah. Do it. - muttered Rizel quietly. The colors immideately started to look brighter, but that didn't convince the roitelet.  
\- Wanna play chess? - Arumeri's tone really needed some corrections. But well, Rizel thought, he'll do it later, instead of wasting the energy on electrocuting him right there.  
The small thoughtful roitelet nodded. He was looking at the window, not really noticing anything else, only a silent "coff-coff" of the fellow kinglet.  
Oh yes. The chess.  
Rizel made his move and waited for Arumeri, but the man didn't take his turn. Instead, he was looking at his master with badly hidden curiosity.  
When he saw that it was noticed, by the way the other kinglet angrily glanced at him, Arumeri tried to back off:  
\- Charles again?  
Rizel shook his head.  
\- Not this time.  
\- Okay. - Arumeri hesitated for a few more seconds and then finally made his move.  
The game went on for longer than they both expected, enough for the tension to be felt so strongly that they thought that the place could blow up with one small electric spark. When it finally ended and Rizel swiped Arumeri's king off the board both felt relieved because that formal torture finally ended.  
Arumeri quickly picked all the chess, closed the box with them and hurried to leave the room, leaving his Master alone again.  
The smaller roitelet sighed. It was torture, but he didn't want to come back to Creature's dimension that became his home. Who knows, maybe a day here equalled an hour there and Maria was still drawing the same stuff. Someone knocked at the door.  
\- Come in. - muttered the roitelet.  
Vivaldi looked into the bedroom, just to check if his Master is still okay.  
\- Master, are you okay? - at least human was still remembering the boundaries.  
\- Yeah. - he nodded. - Vivaldi, what do you think... what if I started drawing?  
The doctor blinked a few times. That definitey wasn't a question he expected to hear.  
\- Ummmm....I don't really know, I'm sorry. Good...goodnight, Master. - he turned the lights off and slipped out of the room, leaving the roitelet to sit on the bed.  
Deep in thoughts Rizel picked up a notepad and a pen and tried to doodle something. The best thing that came out was a dickbutt Howard.  
The notepad was thrown into the corner and the artist himself flopped at the bed heavily. He didn't think that art would be easy peasy lemon squeezy, but that was a little too much.  
Maybe later he will try again, just not now.


	69. The trench

The day started just as usual, maybe except for the packing, since tomorrow they were about to leave.  
Same quick breakfast that consisted of ramen noodles and oats, same good ol' dimension-hoppings...  
Well, "same". This time after they came back, the roitelet realised that the last time he came home that dirty was months ago.  
His trench was soaked in Chorum's black blood and insides, enough for them to drip down, forming small puddles on the floor, and when he walked these drips were marking his way.  
Rizel sighed, taking the trench off. He just hoped that he could get it to dry fully today, so they may go on another dimension-hopping later.  
Usually when he wasn't wearing his trench he had something else to wear that was just as big and soft, for example, the kigurumi, or a sweater. However this time the kigu has already been packed and sent to the car, and it was too hot to wear a sweater or anything like that. He tried digging through the boxes and bags of the stuff that still wasn't sent to the car, but there was nothing but art supplies and some swimming costumes.  
The kinglet slowly descended to his bed, feeling how panic starts to rise inside of him, grabbing his heart with its cold slimey hand. Maria was drawing, just as usual, and when she wasn't she played with the slime she bought for a few cents recently and was calling it "Chorum's saliva".  
Rizel tried to get more comfortable on the bed nd keep his thoughts straight. Nothing that bad happens.  
Everything is okay.  
He's safe.  
Maria is also safe, and she doesn't show any signs of anxiety or anything.  
Still, the roitelet felt terrible. The feeling of that something is very, very wrong wasn't leaving him, and that cold hand kept squeezing his racing heart, making his chest hurt. The kinglet tried to sit up, but everything went dancing in front of his eye, making him fall back at the bed.  
He heard the silent sound of the slime being dropped to the floor.  
Maria appeared by his side almost immideately, staring at the kinglet with her roud glass eyeholes.  
\- Rizel? Is everything okay? - she asked carefully.  
He shook his head, shivering and biting into his lip deep enough for it to nearly bleed. By his reflection in Maria's binoculars he realised that he gets more and more pale.  
\- Look at your eye...it is...not good... - she watched his pupil pulsate and tremble with fear, like Siri's eyes did when the roitelet inside of her felt the presence of the others.  
In his attempts to make a warning gesture with his numb fingers the roitelet accidentally sent a few electric sparks to jump through the carpet, making Maria jump off. She looked around, fluffing her tail like a feather duster, slowly fluffing the rest of her body as well, and then bolted out of the room calling for help. Luckly, the help came in less than a minute, in a form of a very annoyed boglodite, followed by a grumpy and drunk arcanian. Maria dragged them into the room and poked at the kinglet. For a few moments they just stared at each other, the roitelet still shaking and breathing heavily, and then the alien decided to act.  
\- I think I know what caused this... And I will try to fix it. - he said as calmly as he possibly could, slowly approach the roitelet.  
Rizel watched the boglodite with fear and hope.  
The alien took his heavy cream shirt off, and carefully lifted the kinglet into the sitting position. It was quite hard for the small being to keep sitting, he wanted to just fall back at the bed and curl up, whimpering from the pain and fear that was consuing him from inside like a dozen of small Chorums, but he knew he has to.  
Boris carefully wrapped the shaking one-eyed being in his shirt and looked him in the eye:  
\- Do you feel a bit better now?  
The roitelet nodded. Yes, he feels better for some reason...But his chest still hurts and he still wants to curl up.  
The alien thought for a second, looking at him.  
\- Griffin.  
The arcanian turned to them from the window.  
\- Yes?  
\- We need your top green coat.  
\- WHAT? - the smaller alien tried to protest, but Maria kicked him in the butt and dragged the coat off, leaving him in a fuzzy brown undercoat. Griffin immideately puffed up pouting at them, feeling like two of his best friends have betrayed him by choosing a roitelet with a panic attack over a mighty beast that he is.  
After being wrapped in the green coat that slightly smelled of alcohol and smoke, the roitelet felt far better. It was heavy enough and both of these things were soft and big enough for him to wrap himself in completely.  
The slimey hand finally let his heart go and slid off, back to where it came from, taking the pain away and letting him finally stabilize his breath again. But what made him feel even better was that he felt like the alien finally fully accepted him, helping him like that. Sure, Griff is still an ass, but with the boglodite by his side the roitelet doesn't have to worry about it that much.  
He looked at the worried aliens and smiled shyly:  
\- Thank you.


	70. The scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've already had a chapter with the same name, but fuck it.

\- Maria... We have been living together for god knows how long, and I...uh...I have to confess... - the roitelet gulped, feeling that he is as close to Charles as he has never been before.  
The perunium sharply turned to him from the PC. Her face quickly changed to the one of a curious ferret, but he could still catch a glimpse of surprise and fear in her binoculars. It has never ceased to amaze him how these creatures wil round glass eyes could still portray so many different, easily recognisable emotions.  
\- I... ugh... - he started unbuttoning his shirt.  
Maria's tail fluffed, thoughts racing in her mind. They both had no romantic attraction to each other, and they both knew that. Their relationship wouldn't work anyway. She's an artifically created alien shapeshifter monster, still considered underage on this planet and in these worlds and universes. He's an ancient entity, a demon from another dimension, trapped in a human body that is just a little more than 30 years old. Neither has any interest in romance and sex, nor could do it. If one of them would dare to make a first step, that wouldn't end well, most likely resulting in serious injury or death of the roitelet.  
He gulped, the shirt sliding down to the floor.  
Maria gasped silently, looking at his scars. They were minor, compared to Boris's one that still was bleeding sometimes, but they still must have hurt. A lot.   
Reddish lightnings were covering his upperbody, but it was obvious that they go lower too. Some barely visible, some more vibrant.  
\- I don't know how comes that they were restored, but they were...  
\- I don't know how comes I've never noticed them before. - Maria frowned.   
\- That's no surprise... We don't change in front of each other. - the roitelet sighed. He wanted to add something more, but the perunium stretched her long clawed arm towards him, making the kinglet back off slightly.  
\- May I...? - her ears fell, making Maria look more careful. - I won't hurt you, you know.  
Rizel sighed.  
\- Yes. - he made a step forward, letting the mustelid touch him.  
It was an almost ASMR-like sensation, soft finger pads stroking the scars carefully and lightly, almost tickling him. Still, sometimes it was making him shiver - either because of the way she was tracing over the scars following the way the electricity went, or because of the thought that this being is armed with the claws that could make these scars way deeper if only she decides to use them.  
\- You're still beautiful to me, you know? - the clawed hand slid down to hold his tiny one.  
The roitelet didn't ask for this to be said, and a part of him didn't want all of these human-like sentiments, but there was something so weirdly sweet in all of this. Why did he even worry. Is he an ancient demon or a mushy pile of pink glitter slime, afterall?  
The kinglet closed his only eye, feeling the warmth of the big fluffy hand holding his own.  
\- Thank you. Thank you so much.  
He may be a mushy pile of pink glitter slime, but that's not neccessarily a bad thing, he had to admit.


	71. Moray eels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you remember the post about "Knowledge is power, France is bacon"? For some reason I imagine that Rizel had quite a few of these moments after he inhabited Charles. He still had a lot to learn about that world, because the human memory wasn't always supplying him with what he needed to know. Charles looked like a very shy and closed kid, easliy pushed over, and he probably didn't get to know much about most things, but he probably knew a lot about nature and stuff - from encyclopaedias that he read as a kid. These facts were pretty much useless in real life, and Rizel tried to forget them as fast as he could.  
> Still, I feel like sometimes some of them would suddenly pop up in his mind, and he'd realize that he had been staring blankly at the wall, Vivaldi or his servants and thinking about something like "Cats have over 100 vocal sounds, dogs only have 10" or "The world pig population is approx. 857,099,000".

Finally silence fell. After a heated argument everyone was just either pouting at one another or drifting away, relaxing and catching a break.  
They won a few tickets to a reeeeeally shitty movie and were debating whether it was a good idea to go watch it or no. In the end they came to conclusion that technically they could slip out if they do dislike it that much, and since the tickets were free either way they won't be losing much. Still, it took the beings twenty minutes of the drive to the cinema to agree on that. They wanted Twilight once, watched Eclipse, watched a lot of other shit, so why not to try this one too?  
Rizel was sitting on his usual place, blankly staring at the flocked car ceiling. He didn't really argue, but he still had to take some time for getting his thoughts back together.  
Maria stopped looking at the streetlights floating away and poked him:  
\- Whatcha thinking about?  
Rizel blinked, his train of thought completely derailed:  
\- Did you know that moray eels have two sets of jaws?  
Maria looked interested, her ears perked up and whiskers ridged into a plate, tail slowly fluffing. Everyone turned to them too, except for Boris because he was driving, but they could clearly see that he was interested as well. Finally Griffin broke the silence:  
\- HOW THE FUCK?!  
\- I don't know how exactly, but I know that they do! - Rizel backed off, sliding closer to Maria.  
The perunium immideately slid her sleeve up, revealing the comlog:  
\- Wait a sec, I'll take a loo....WHAT THE ACTUAl...?!   
Chuborinci giggled. Yes, they were pretty much out of the coverage at that moment. It would have proven the truth to them with just a click of its long black claws, but it felt like having some fun that day. And it did.  
The rest of the drive they were arguing on the placement of the second pair of jaws, checking the internet every few minutes, but they still couldn't catch a byte to open at least the starting page of the search engine. The page only opened when they finally arrived at the cinema, straight when the white van stopped in front of the main entrance.  
\- Fuck you and your moray eels. - muttered Griffin, getting out.  
He was absolutely sure that this is a hoax.


	72. Speaking of getting older...

It was a quiet Sunday morning. The skies were white with clouds and were filling the city with a soft white glow.  
A big bundle of blankets on the top tier of a bunk bed uncurled and turned into a young perunium-boglodite, who immideately grabbed her tablet from under the mattress.  
Twitter...Tumblr...Other sites... The usual tags.  
Suddenly one story caught her attention. She had never seen someone draw the roitelet that old.   
Silently swearing at the lack of the auto-translation button she snuggled deeper into the blankets. The translation was shit, but still understandable enough.   
"The cup was broken".  
The perunium nervously licked her whiskers. There were many, many occasions of them breaking the cup. One of them ended with Chorum being impaled on the handle. But since the ones who did that were coming through a whole set of portals it was easy to just open the hole into the Valley and keep it open with a bit of sticky tape. But she had never thought about what would happen when there will be no extra portal and the cup would break.  
Thoughts were swirling into a weird pattern, making the mustelid slip the tablet off and dig deeper into the pile of blankets around her.  
Not one roitelet every died of old age. They all were murdered. Or are still alive.  
If a roitelet kills and eats another one of his kind, he or she gets the energy of their victim.  
If a human kills a roitelet their soul goes back to Limbo.  
What happens when a roitelet just...just, well, dies alone?  
Would he get into the Limbo as well?  
Darkness, one of her symbionts, poked the fluffy tigh. Dude. You have a roitelet right below you. Just get down, wake him up and ask him if you really want to know what happens after a roitelet dies alone. Sure he won't be happy, but that's better than nothing.  
Maria carefully slipped down... falling like a bag of rocks into a well in the end, but the roitelet didn't wake up. He was sleeping completely curled up under four blankets and the plushies tucked in as well, keeping him warm.   
The perunium poked him a few times, but that only made the kinglet snuggle deeper into the blankets, muttering something intelligible. Maria dropped her plushy ears and poked him one last time, but nothing happened.  
Suddenly a thought has crossed her mind like lightning.   
Human bodies age.  
The roitelets, however, don't.  
Still, something was worrying her. She is sixteen, one boglodite year is twenty five human years, by the point she will stop aging the boby that the kinglet has at the moment will most likely not just die, but turn into dust.   
Big clawed hands grabbed the tiny thing tighter, a big more pressure and he'd wake up scratched to blood. Who knows how much longer do they have living like that and being together.   
Before she could snuggle even tighter, a black weasel jumped on her shoulder. She was a shapshifter, her symbionts were full shapeshifters, but she still couldn't get used to Alvin appearing like that.  
\- What do you need? - Maria whispered angrily.  
\- You know I'm not just yours. - the weasel replied, cleaning his whiskers.  
\- And? - silently snapped the bigger mustelid, but immideately shut up in fear of waking up the being she was curled around.  
\- And he already had the point you're just looking forward to. - Alvin giggled, before jumping off her shoulder and disappearing again, but his voice could still be heard for a few more moments. - But he just doesn't know that.  
Surprisingly, that calmed Maria down, making her loosen the firm grasp and even yawn again. It was just seven AM, too early for a Sunday.  
\- I'm here if you need me... - she muttered into her whiskers before falling alseep again.

***  
\- Hnnnnn... - the small being looked around trying to focus his only eye and yawned. - Mar-Maria?  
For a second he thought that she was probably crying, but as everything come into focus he realised that this was just drool. The big being was lying twisted at some angles nearly impossible for an Earth-typed being, seemingly trying to find a good pose to sleep in without disturbing the roitelet.  
The same black weasel peeped from under his pillow.  
\- She was worried about you this morning.  
Rizel blinked and shook his head.  
\- I see... - he could accept nearly everything living with these beings, but talking weasels under pillows was a little too much. - Maria? Can I get out of the bed, at least? Maria?!  
A silent snore was the only answer.


	73. Cuffs and kindness

\- Ooh, I think we've got company. - the motorcycles stopped a few meters before the row of the royal guards and other warriors.  
The smaller boglodite growled silently, rubbing the bracelet. Damn thing. Damn cuff. If only she could remove it, she would show her might.  
But alas, the Creatures said that it's time for her to try and act like a normal alien rather than a shapeshifting monster, and locked the cuff. It was big, heavy and metallic, and didn't change form when she was transforming. Every time the teen tried to change into at least the anthro boglodite form, the cuff was squeezing her wrist hard enough to be painful and she quickly stopped these attempts. Using her power also hurt, so she had to resort to fighting just with her bare fists and a little less bare symbionts.  
Unfortunately, bare fists wouldn't help much against these armored dudes.  
\- DON'T MOVE! - they cried, aiming their spears at the newcomers with a loud "Shing!" sound.  
\- Okay, guys, cool it. - muttered the other boglodite, standing up from his motorcycle. - We're just getting these three... - he looked at the other roitelet - ...four home. Now let us pass.  
The guards didn't listen. They yelled "Don't try to deceive us!" and stepped forward, rising the knives, making Maria growl. If only the fucking cuff would be easier to remove...   
The war would break out any second, but there lord Cudna and his guard walked through the crowd of the guards, seemingly wanting to find someone.  
Maria tensed, trying to find Marianne. She remembers that page, in both translations. Nothing good ever comes from that look.  
Marianne was eyeing the guard behind Cudna.  
\- Chester?!!! Is that you? - she made a few shy steps towards him.  
\- Why do you continue to betray the Valley, Marianne? - he rised the sword.  
That was his mistake.  
Soon the edge of the cliff was more of a bloodbath than anything else. The royal guards had their swords, sure, but the "demons" as they have called them had stuff worse than that. Electricity. Symbionts. Lazer and energy guns.  
And in the moment of the very despair, Maria summoned her spear, which she called Kindness. The only tricky thing was that she couldn't kill anyone directly, or else the spear would disappear. So she was barely containing her rage, running around and poking everyone's legs, shoulders and butts, trying not to kill them, sice she still needed the weapon. But when she saw a guard holding up her small new friend, Maria forgot about saving it.   
The guard only let out a little "Ooph" and fell on the ground with a quiet thud. Adrian stared at his saviour with fear and respect.   
His saviour herself stared around with pretty much the same....well, fear for sure. The spear has faded away.  
And there were still quite a bit of the guards that all wanted to kill them.  
All she had now were her symbionts and her bare hands.  
And Adrian, who she needed to protect at any cost.  
The first few moves were rather good, she managed to kick some of them hard enough to knock them off, but there were more and more of the guards, and Maria felt like it may be the end. Well, maybe not for her, but for Adrian, what still isn't that good. He should stay alive. He's one of the main characters, afterall.  
She grabbed one of the spears from the guards she knocked down and tried to fight them off with it. Still, Kindness would have worked far better for that, as the wooden one couldn't even scratch the armor, and soon was broken when she shoved it too deep into someone's helmet. Must've gotten suck in the eyesocket.  
Maria tried to move closer to the others, but as everyone was moving constantly it was hard to see who was where. One moment she saw Griffin and Richard fighting side by side and the other the arcanian was thrown away and it was no use trying to get to them. Adrain was running after her, clinging to her hoodie and trying not to fall down.  
The teen kicked off the last of the guards that were interested in them for the time being and looked around. Chester, blinded by rage, still tried to murder Marianne, and he almost got her. One more second and what was drawn in the comic book will come true, but in a slightly different way... The sword fell.  
SHLING!  
Chester's eyes met two round binoculars, but the girl wasn't looking at him at that moment.  
She was eyeing the cuff that protected them all three. As the sword bounced off, it left a major crack on the surface, with smaller ones spreading around. Before the guard could rise the weapon once more, the cuff fell down.  
This time she really was looking him in the eye.  
\- You're fucked, Chester. - growled the being.  
Needless to say, that with the arrival of such a powerful creature the guards didn't stand a chance.   
The story of this particular comicverse was rewritten.


	74. I'm tired

He was lying face down on his messy bed.  
The alien was just tired. He has been doing so much in these few days, and the dimension-hoppings were just extending them, easily turning 24 hours into 46 and more. Sure, he was a boglodite, but that didn't matter when he had to be up and running all the time, taking care of all of the other dimension-travellers.  
He returned home earlier that day, slipped into his room and fell on the bed without even taking the black suit off. Trying to get more comfortable he threw the blanket to the floor, but apparently the most comfortable pose was still lying prone, face buried into the pillow.  
The alien couldn't fall asleep because the lights still were on, but he was too tired to stand up and turn them off.  
Time was running so slow, every minute felt like a century.  
He heard the silent "blip-blip-blip" of rain outside. The sound was so silent and monotonous, it felt like it was everywhere, coming from all the direactions at once, getting inside of the alien's head and filling it completely.  
The boglodite sighed. It was a terrible feeling, like floating in the void, both awake and asleep. The blip-blip-blip turned into a background noise and stopped mattering to him.  
There were some other noises, but he didn't care about them anymore.  
Suddenly the lights were turned off, and the alien felt someone covering him with the blanket. He tried to protest tiredly, but whoever that was, he was very peristent.  
Finally the alien was tired of the silent fight and so he turned to the being that kept tucking him in.  
The boglodite expected anyone, but the one who he saw in front of him. The roitelet didn't say anything, but if you looked in his blue eye everything was clear.  
"Don't even try to tell me that you didn't try to help me. It's my turn to return the favour."  
The alien had nothing else to do, but to accept.


	75. Fanfiction

Maria was especcially fussy that day. She wasn't letting anyone come closer to the PC and kept being very secretive about what she was doing there.  
But in the evening everything came out, when she dashed into the living room as a small angry fluzzball.  
\- I can't figure out how to use that site! - the perunium fuzzed her fur even more  
\- What site, my dude? - someone finally decided to speak.  
\- The bookoffanfiction dot org! - Maria fluffed so much she looked like an overgrilled sausage with legs at some point.  
Silence fell as everyone was processing the information. Finally Bill decided to break the silence:  
\- And what...what are you going to post there?  
Maria stopped the door from closing and backed off a little bit, realizing what she has just done:  
\- You know...stories.  
\- Stories about what? - Interrupted Inverted, ridgig its whiskers.  
\- About stuff. - Maria didn't know whether to defluff or keep fuzzing, so it must have looked really funny from the side.  
\- What kind of stuff? - Bill and Inverted were persistent.  
\- All kind of stuff. - the perunium backed off and was closing the door, so only her twitching nose and binoculars could be seen. - You know... Like... Like I've been documenting our adventures...and I think it's kinda...uh....kinda time to show them....  
She didn't get to finish because nearly everybody rushed into the room.  
\- DID YOU WRITE THAT THING ABOUT THE PIGEON SOUP?   
\- WHY DIDN'T YOU INCLUDE HOW WE FLEW INTO THE VALLEY ON THE PLANE?  
\- WHY DID YOU HAVE TO INCLUDE THAT MOMENT WHEN I FELL DOWN THE STAIRS?!  
\- DID YOU FINISH IT ALL ALREADY?  
Maria sighed, looking away. Maybe that wasn't the best idea, afterall...   
\- Don't worry, they will soon forget about it, and if you were wondering, not many people will read those. - Creature came closer to hug and cuddle her in attempts to cheer its creation up. - I've tried.  
\- You put your stories into sta.sh, so sure nobody was reading them... - muttered the teenager.  
\- True. - The mustelid looked away too.


	76. Thank you

\- Master! Where have you been? - a sharp phrase tore the silence. The roitelet and the young boglodite winced, turning to the tall figure.  
Vivaldi's eyes widened even more when he saw that the one standing in front of him was indeed his Master.  
The roitelet gulped, not knowing what exactly to say. They didn't know what happened in this particular world, as they've never been there before, the portal just opened into the headquarters of the Order and they didn't even meet anyone yet. All they've done was swiping the dust off the table and the chess that were still standing there.  
\- I've...I've been dead. - he shivered, slowly backing off. - You know, I've never reached the Valley, but the rift is open, and so if anyone else wants they can pass.  
The tall doctor stayed silent for some time, his eyes filling with tears. When he started speaking again, they all could feel how his voice was breaking.  
\- I've missed you, Master. When will you be back? - the human was still hopeful. And they had to break his fragile hope, because even though they didn't know what happened in this universe for sure, one thing was certain - Rizel from this world wasn't going to come back.  
\- I... - the roitelet looked him in the eye for a moment, before looking down again. - I'm afraid I may not be back at all. - he tried not to get emotional, but his voice still started to tremble. - I may not have reached the Valley, but I have a family...where I am now. - he nodded to the shy alien who didn't know what to do.   
She felt very insecure, like an odd object. What was happening was too intimate, in the emotional way, and Maria felt like she shouldn't be hearing this.But at the same time there was no way she could just hide or disappear.  
Vivaldi blinked the tears off.  
\- I will miss you a lot, Master. - he slowly backed off, before finally turning their back to them and leaving.  
The roitelet sighed deeply, feeling how he was starting to shake from all of these emotions tearing him apart. He shouldn't get emotional. He's not some mushy teenager, he's a serious electric demon. He's not going to show his weakness, especcially now, when the adventure was just starting...  
Deep in thought, he didn't notice where did Maria go, and so the sudden creak of the door made the roitelet wince and step back. The boglodite was standing by the door, looking at him in a way he had never seen her do.  
\- M-m-maria?! - Rizel blinked.  
\- We're going to find you and bring you back.

***  
He couldn't get that moment out of his head. Vivaldi's emotions, his own emotions, the way that other Rizel was greeted when they brought him back in the end.  
The holograms Maria shown them, and the way her voice changed when she was explaining the dangers of going back into the Valley.  
"We couldn't be there for you, you know that?"  
But the thing that bothered him the most was still Vivaldi's reaction. The doctor really cared about him and really missed his master. He wasn't faking these emotions.  
Suddenly a realization struck him like an electric spark.  
What if his own Vivaldi from his homeworld feels the same? And he just have never noticed that, because he took all that admiration for granted?   
The roitelet started caring about the feelings of the ones who lived there with him, because they saved him and they were much more powerful than him, so if he'd be an insensitive prick that doesn't care about anyone but himself he'd regret that pretty darn fast. But in his homeworld he never actually did...  
"You're a dumbass, Rizel."  
The kinglet jumped out of bed and put his trench on faster than lightning, poked Maria's side for the portal home, and as the perunium was too busy with her Business English homework for tomorrow and didn't care about anything else, the roitelet was soon running through the empty corridors of the building of the Order.

Vivaldi was in his room, just as usual. The lights were dimmed, the mask taken off, and the doctor was just sitting there, comfortably sunk in his armchair, reading a new issue of "PaxMed".  
Suddenly the door was slammed open, and Rizel literally fell in, gasping for air after such a long and tireding run he wasn't prepared for. Vivaldi jumped up so fast that for a moment everything went dancing in front of his eyes and he nearly fell back into the armchair.  
\- Master, are you okay? - he was still reeling, but the wellbeing of the small roitelet was still more important for him than his own.  
The kinglet looked up, making the doctor gasp looking at his dilated pupil.  
\- Yes, yes, I'm okay... - his breath still was deep, hard and fast, so Vivaldi just literally dragged the roitelet to the bed and was frantically looking around for the water bottle, while his master was clinging to his lab coat.  
\- I just *wheese* I just wanted to say "Thank you" - the kinglet snuggled closer to the confused doctor. - Since I never did.


End file.
